Clouded Eyes
by animefreak5483
Summary: His life long mission is complete. However the last Uchiha is left with a greater burden than expected; one that is a permanent reminder of his brother. Will he survive it alone, or will he find that he never truly was alone? Sasusaku!
1. A New Beginning

Author's note:

_Hello all you Sasuke Sakura fans!_

_Long time fan of the show, long time shipper of the Sasusaku pairing finally got around to write a fic featuring the troubled couple._

_Before I begin, I must say there are some spoliers that coincide with the current manga chapters. So if you are not up to date, and don't know the outcome of the Uchiha brother's fight, turn back now!_

_This fic takes place after the end of the battle, and there are a few changes from the manga so that my crack dream can work nicely. Hurray for fluff! There needs to be more sasusaku fluff in the manga... a girl can dream, right?_

_So it goes without saying I don't own the characters or anything with the Manga/anime Naruto. I also have to say that I was inspired to write this fic after reading a doujinshi "十七夜"　by 望戸為. God I love living in Japan- easy access to great stories that bring on the plot bunnies!  
_

_That is enough of an author's note for now. Please enjoy the fic!_

* * *

It felt strange walking among the still, silent and empty buildings. How he had done this before and not felt so much amazed him. It was like being in a dream. He had never thought he would be back… much less alive. But there he was, walking through the streets of his home town… the same place that his long and painful journey had begun all those years ago. It almost felt like another life time, one where he was an innocent boy just wanting acceptance and praise from his two male mentors in his life. And then it all changed. His father and his mother had been taken from him by his brother. Within the span of walking home from school, his world had changed.

After long years of training and refusing to live, he found himself at another life changing moment. Even now it hurt to remember the events leading up to what he had only dreamed of for so many years… so many painful and lonely years.

The fight between two of the strongest nins the Konoha village had produced in a long time had gone on for hours. The upper hand had been dealt back and forth until his brother- the person who he once wanted to learn from and the reason for the decimation of the clan- drew his last breath. The last words from his brother were unrecognizable because he was in such a state of shock himself...

He did remember the blood dripping into his eyes… that was his own, but his hands and body were covered with a mix of the two Uchiha brothers. Looking at the blood and his brother's still body on the rocks, his legs and mind gave out.

The next thing he knew he was waking up to a feeling he had never forgotten… the warmth was something he would try to remember on nights were he wanted nothing but to curl up and die.

Consciousness did not stay with him for long... just like the memories of the act of killing his enemy, his return, and the following weeks of recovery. It all was a haze.

In the end the last living survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre was nursed back to health and somehow his crimes as a missing nin and criminal once tied to Ochimaru were nearly dismissed.

There were consequences of his actions after leaving the village. He would have to prove himself to many, and deal with the whispers and isolation that he had brought on himself. As far as official punishments for his choices, he was to be monitored for a time, unable to sit on the council as the Uchiha clan leader for a year, not made team leader on the select missions he was assigned to until deemed trust worthy. He could live with those things however not being able to leave the village with out permission and an escort, on top of some of his more dangerous and volatile powers being securely placed behind a seal created by the Hokage and other powerful leaders in the village, seemed to be the bigger nuisances.

His brother's group and the remnants of the Ochimaru team were still out there… not to mention the one person that had caused the Hokage much trouble, the being known as Tobi, or Madara Uchiha. His true intentions were still unclear; he had begun the Uchiha clan, then helped destroy it, and then watched as two of its last members fought to the death… it was still a mystery. But no matter the cause Sasuke was greatly involved with all three. Some were looking for revenge while the others might look to recruit a new leader out of the man. The village elders wanted to make sure he did not get involved with any of the groups.

As much as he hated the feeling of others watching him, Uchiha Sasuke knew he was lucky to be alive… and allowed back into his home after all he had done.

In the seven months time he had been back, many things had happened and yet it felt as if nothing ever did. He had taken several weeks to recover, much of that was a credit to the skillful healers in the village. Sasuke did not remember much of that time. But he knew she was there making sure he was given the best care and holding his hand from time to time. Afterwards he was left to return to his home and go before pretty much everyone and deal with the hurt and betrayal he had caused.

Keeping busy was key after that. Taking on as many missions as possible and slowly building up the trust again was a way to avoid being bogged down with the emotions and the void that had appeared in his life.

The home of his father and generations before did not seem to be his… it stung even more to think that those who wished to slaughter his family… their family had lived and helped build these very walls. Sasuke shook that thought out of his head often. If he dwelled on it for long, he knew he would become angry and contemplate destroying the entire Uchiha area. But even if he did, the land and the memories would not be cleansed.

The Uchiha complex was silent as Sasuke slowly wandered the streets on his solitary patrol. He had once run through these very streets as a naive child, brooded as a troubled teen, and now he walked aimlessly. It was the first time in his life that he could not find a purpose. He simply did not know what direction to take now…

He no longer lusted for power or was driven to avenge his clan, although the knowledge of Madara's existence did bother him… the fuel that had fed the fire inside of him had been exhausted to a degree. Leaving him more cold and confused inside… capable of feeling nothing but cold… wanting to do nothing but wander… he no longer cared about anything and it scared him.

* * *

The sun's rays were unforgiving as they rained into his room and over his face. It was early, he could tell without even opening his eyes. The day's training schedule would not take long and he wondered what else the Hokage would assign for him to do. Anything would be better than having him spend the day in the empty walls of his home.

Getting up from his bed he sauntered over to the window and looked out. The sun was painting the morning sky in a variety of red hues, it would have moved many people to see such a sight, but to Sasuke it was just another sunrise. Scratching his bare chest he stretched and readjusted his sagging boxers. He was losing weight due to his constant working and never eating at home. Did he even have food in his refrigerator? He didn't know.

It bothered him a little to feel this way. He was supposed to feel better once his revenge was satisfied, but then again was his mission really complete? Things had not worked out the way he had imagined and he was at a loss on how to fix it.

Turning away from the sunrise, he picked up his uniform from the chair where he had draped it the night before. Putting on the dark shirt and pants he sighed as he looked at the head guard that had been waiting for him all those years he was gone. At times he wondered why they had allowed him to live after all that he had done. He asked the Hokage that very question and she had not answered him directly. Her only response echoed in his mind… "That would be too easy."

Yeah it would have been… and it would have saved him a lot of trouble; but things we not all bad. Well, that is what he tried to tell himself. It did feel good to accomplish things and the strain of his muscles after doing a hard days work also was a good feeling. But still his life felt empty.

Putting on the head guard and his green jacket, Uchiha Sasuke once again decided to take his punishments and see things through… one day at a time.

* * *

"Did you really master the Sharingan when you were that young?" The young ninja in training asked in a voice that annoyed him greatly. "And the Uchiha fire technique? Will you show it to me?" For the last twenty minutes while in transit to their mission's location, one of the three genins on his team had been constantly bothering him.

Sasuke was thankful for the silence that came once they got into enemy territory. Their movements from tree to tree were swift, at least the kids could do that much. He had mixed feelings towards this mission, and it had a lot to do with the three genins that seemed to go wide-eyed at his very presence. However the assignment was a welcome break from the walls of Konoha. He and the new nins were under the leadership of Shikamaru. Even with that signature lazy attitude of his, he had made it up the ladder to a respectable leader. Still it seemed strange to be under someone he had been classmates with...

On paper it was a simple mission, however with students things tended to get complicated fast. The basis of the job was to do a little reconnaissance, recapture a scroll that had been stolen from the village and return home. Shikamaru and he could have done this by themselves easily. But the village needed new well trained ninjas in its ranks, so training missions were quite frequent now. However the new graduates seemed to have missed the chapter on stealth jitsus.

A small misstep while trying to concentrate on a jitsu sent one of the genins falling from their location. The blunder started a mess of flying stars and close range combat. Moving in quickly Sasuke proved once again why he was such a talented and skilled member of the Konoha village even with his rocky past.

Returning home with the scroll in tact, and all the members of the team alive was received with great praise. Especially when Shikamaru reported it was Sasuke that saved the day and the team. Maybe he would be back as a full member of the village sooner than he thought.

* * *

The next day Sasuke was heading once again towards the Hokage's office for what he hoped to be a less annoying assignment. As he walked down the streets towards the center of town, it was interesting to see the reactions from people. The majority of the younger students and children dreaming of being warriors looked up to him with awe from the rumors and the accounts they had heard of his past, even before leaving the village with Orochimaru. He had always been something of a celebrity being a child of the Uchiha, survivor of the massacre and one of the greatest students the academy had. But this was a different level of awe.

Assuming that it had a lot to do with defeating Ocrohimaru and his brother, Sasuke tried to avoid the younger villagers as often as possible. Similar to the reactions of the girls during his academy years, the younger generation of female students and staff seemed to not really care of his past. They would swoon and scream if he so much as walked by… it was still rather annoying.

Then you had the older generation, and his former classmates. The ones that had witnessed his actions and betrayal firsthand… they were the ones who risked their lives to come and get him… had to deal with the failures of their missions because he was simply too stupid and stubborn to listen to them… they were the ones that were still weary of opening up to him again.

Granted some were more open than others. There was still a lot of work to be done. Kakashi would be his normal self when he was in public, but he could tell his former teacher had been hurt by his departure. Not to mention his teammates. Naruto, whom he had hurt both emotionally and physically a great deal, seemed to want to welcome him back. Several ramen noodle shop stops had gotten the blond to talk to Sasuke like old times. Granted it would take a long time before he regained his brother status with the other orphan, but their relationship was on its way. However it appeared to be another story when it came to the last member of his team.

Sakura… she had always been there helping him... even now she had sat with him, doing small things to help him feel better. Naruto told him how she would go into the Uchiha complex to clean from time to time, and she was the one who had been the most loyal and most adamant for allowing him back into the village. It was no secret of her feelings towards the dark haired Uchiha boy, but something seemed different now.

After he had been released he started seeing her less and less… and that is what seemed to perplex him the most from all the changes he had come to deal with… She had been avoiding him. In the end, after the way he had treated her, it only seemed right that she finally figured out what a worthless person he was...

But he had hoped…

Sighing, Sasuke decided to forget it. There was only so much a heart could take, and he had done nothing to show her he cared. How could he show her how he felt when he was too stuck up with his mission of hate? He had only realized it was her warmth, her friendship, her unconditional love that had kept him from truly going over the edge. He had done horrible things, but he had never gone the extra few steps that would make her hate him completely. He had never killed unless it was necessary. And even then, it was done quickly if possible.

He didn't want her to hate him… she already must have been hurting with his departure, and she must have also been equally disappointed with him once his actions were disclosed, but he had hoped to be given another chance.

However their awkward moments together or her hasty departures from his presence over the last several months told him it was not to be.

Walking a little bit faster he did not want to think about that anymore. He needed a new mission to get his mind off… her. Climbing the stairs he turned quickly trying to get to the office faster he was totally unaware of his surroundings.

"Sasuke-kun?" Her voice stopped him in his tracks, it was almost as if her voice was haunting him. He thought it was a dream. Looking up from his feet, he saw her standing there before the double doors leading to the Hokage's office. His dark eyes wanted to look in her eyes, but something stopped him. It was almost as if looking at her eyes would cement the feelings of disgust he assumed she held for him.

"Sa..sakura." He allowed her name to spill from his lips.

"It's been a while… how are you?" She sounded a little nervous, but her voice was still the same sweet melodious one that he remembered when he was at his darkest. It was her voice that brought him back from the curse so many times… it gave him courage and he looked up at her deep eyes, those green orbs seemed to give him courage..

"Yeah, it has been a while. I'm doing…" He sighed and looked away for a brief second. "Things are ok." Smiling a little when he looked into her eyes again. He could not help but feel the warmth she gave off, even when he was so far away he could still feel that warmth from his memories of her. Smiling like he was, it was such an out of character act for him, but he was happy to get a reaction from her. Her eyes sparkled a bit and she smiled back. That was the Sakura had he wanted to see.

"You?" He added not wanting her to walk away from him just yet.

"Really busy… I've been away for two months studying medicines and techniques." She smiled and unconsciously pulled the clipboard closer to her chest. Having him there so close to her once again made her heart flutter. There was no denying that no matter the time that they had been apart, no matter how little he showed her his feelings, or how blind he was to throw his life away on revenge, her feelings for him had only grown. And now he was back…

Sakura was not the same girl that he had left unconscious in the park all those years ago. A broken heart had made her leery of opening up again. Maybe that was why she had refused the many chunins and others that had shown interest in that time. Maybe she was secretly holding out against the odds, knowing he would return... No matter, she was not going to fawn over him like when they were genins. She needed to be sure he would not leave her like last time. But there was no mistaking the feelings he arose in her.

Hearing her say that she had indeed been busy and not avoiding him made him feel a lot better. It was a rare occurrence that his stomach felt this way… especially since he had returned.

Averting his eyes to keep from blushing like an idiot, he noticed for the first time how different Sakura looked. His eyes quickly traveled the length of her body, her usual pink outfit had matured over the years, and the woman in her had blossomed. The tight fitting pink hued tunic molded to her curves. The length went down to above her knees and the sides were slit up towards her hips. Underneath the tunic a pair of dark colored leggings grew lighter as they went down to her legs. Her chest was hidden behind the clipboard, but he could tell that her curves were there.

His eyes snapped back to her face and he could see her blush faintly. That too gave him hope.

"I missed you."

They both said at the same time, causing both of them to laugh a little with embarrassment.

"Really?" She asked trying to make eye contact with him. He seemed different. If she had realized he would change this much, she would have thought twice about taking up that special training after he was discharged.

But before he could respond the double doors separating them from the Hokage's office swung open. Sasuke quickly put his arm out and stopped it before it hit Sakura, in a way pinning her to the wall.

"Oh, so you are here." Came the familiar voice of their former teacher. Kakashi and his ever present manga poked out from behind the doors. "Oh and Sakura is here too."

"Kakashi-sempai." Sakura smiled, blushing more because Sasuke had yet to pull away from her.

"Sorry, but I have to borrow him for a moment." Kakashi was smirking from behind the mask, the two knew it. "This situation looks rather familiar... oh yes…" He pulled up his book and nodded.

Sasuke pushed away from Sakura at the implication it was anything more than protecting her from the door.

"Can we talk… um later?" He asked her before turning to walk into the office for whatever the two had planned for him.

"Sure." She managed to squeak out, not wanting to act like the inner Sakura at the moment. Inside the calm and composed girl was a grinning, fist pumping sparkly eyed Sakura.

And then the two men were gone behind the door leaving her alone in the hallway to wonder what they were going to discuss. Not that it really mattered; she was still on cloud nine. She had hoped this day would come. There was something there between them since their academy years. However, there was something inside Sakura that made her weary of blindly jumping right back in.

'Take things slow... remember your head...' She told herself as began to wander away from the door. Tsunade could wait, she had to tell Ino!

* * *

Sasuke composed himself quickly and silently followed Kakashi into the large room. Behind the desk Sasuke could see the back of the Hokage's chair. He knew that once the chair turned around, he could come face to face with the leader of the village; the woman who had saved his life as a teenager, and the leader who had spared his life and given him a second chance.

She was a fair leader; her outward appearance did not seem to be fitting for such a high caliber of a leader, but there was no denying that she was the best choice to lead the village during this difficult time.

However, he had little idea as to why she wanted to see him. Usually he received his orders from one of the many subordinates, but not today. Racking his brain, there was nothing he could think of that he had done wrong. He had followed her directives to the letter.

"Good, you are both here." The voice of Tsunade seemed to be a little quieter than the last time they had spoken; something that caused him to not be able tell if she was happy or angry.

Slowly the chair swiveled and Sasuke was left with his mouth open. The blond haired large chested woman that sat before him held a tiny bundle in her arms.

"I never knew you had a child." Sasuke could not help but say out loud. The smile on her face told him that it was not her child.

"I don't… but you do now."

* * *

_A/n: Lovely... the fic was going so well... an awkward moment between our couple and now a baby. But are things that simple? It can't be Sasuke's, right? If not then whose baby is Sasuke getting to babysit? _

_Never fear this is not going to be your average Sasuke gets a baby fic!_

_Comments, reviews, randomness are all welcome. I hope to hear from you soon!_


	2. Daddy Sasuke?

C_hapter 2_

_A/n: Well, you are back for more! That is a good sign. First of all, I want to thank the reviewers. I enjoyed reading them, and I am happy you enjoyed the first chapter._

_My take on Sasuke may seem a bit OOC- but I do believe that returning home after the entire mess he had been living would maybe soften him to the people that matter the most to him… and in my world at least- he would open up and finally acknowledge that he has feelings for Sakura. Now, he isn't in anyway going to openingly profess his love for her- this is Sasuke after all… he has a lot of issues to work through before that kind of "human" qualities can be reached. Plus that would make for a really short fan fic...  
_

_So, shall we continue on that journey to hopefully a happy ending?_

* * *

"I don't... but you do now." The 5th Hokage said looking from the baby in her arms to Sasuke, who seemed shocked beyond words.

"I... but... I've never... it can't be..." Sasuke shook his head trying to wake up from what he thought was a dream. If it was a dream, he was kind of disappointed because it had been going so well... but the image before him did not waver, and soon he realized it was not a dream. "Look here, I know for a fact this is not mine." He started again. " And I had hoped you were enough of a medical nin to know that without certain activities on my part this could not have been produced."

"I am fully aware that it is not yours... and it would be wise to hold your tongue boy." She snarled in a low voice at his comment, holding back the full wrath of her anger. "However, until things can be sorted out, this child belongs with its closest living relative."

"And he does have your eyes..." Kakashi said leaning in to look at the baby. Sasuke gave his old teacher a strange look, but moved closer.

The breath that he had taken in was stuck in his throat as he got a closer look at the baby.

There wrapped in an old shirt that looked strikingly similar to the ones worn by those of his clan, was a baby with dark hair and red eyes... the partially activated sharingan was staring back at him and he felt sick.

"No... you have got to be kidding me!" He raised his voice and took a step back from the baby and the two others. Grabbing his hair with one hand, while the other pounded on the Hokage's desk, Sasuke could not believe what he saw. "NO!"

"Sasuke..." She tried to say something but was cut off.

"That man... could not... how... this has got to be some kind of a joke..."

"I'm sorry, but this was with the baby." Kakashi said handing the troubled man the blood stained parchment that had been found with the baby outside the gates of the city. His eyes skimmed the paper in search of something... anything.

The author of the note, the child's mother seemed to be running from someone out to kill her and the child... not much else clicked with him besides the heavy feeling in his gut.

"NO!" He slammed both fists on the desk with such force it sent the papers flying off. The noise must have startled the baby in the Hokage's arms and it sniffled a bit.

"Stop it!" She gave a death look at Sasuke, not wanting to deal with a crying baby. But Sasuke was not looking at her. Instead he was staring at his hands... the hands that had been covered in blood... how could that monster sire a child? How could he... no it had to be a mistake. There had to be some other reason... but those eyes... a baby should not even be able to summon those eyes. Its father must have been strong, and passed great power to the child... and it was not him. He had never done anything that could lead to this...

"Here take the baby." Tsunade said standing up and handing the baby over to a confused looking Kakashi. The older man took the baby as commanded, nearly dropping his manga as the blond woman walked quickly over to his former student. His exposed eye told of his apprehension on holding the baby when it was so close to all out crying… but he didn't refuse the order, not wanting to incur the wrath of Tsunade and a wailing baby.

"Shouldn't we let its new father hold it?" He asked looking at the child and feeling a bit sorry of it. It was too young to know of the hate that the two brothers held for each other, of the hate that had taken its mother and now wanted to end its life.

"I am not its father!" Sasuke roared and sent the child into a fit of crying. Kakashi looked as if he was going to drop the baby from the loud piercing scream it let out. Recovering somewhat, he held it out at arms length and shook it a bit, only getting to to scream more.

"Look what you've done!" Tsunade screamed back, she knew that the Uchiha survivor would not take this job without a fight. However, she had hoped that he could get past all the hatred and do this without it being a mission.

"I cannot be a father to HIS child!" Sasuke said feeling like an animal caged in a corner. He watched his former teacher as he tried to calm the baby. "Why me?"

"Because no matter what you feel for its father, this child is an Uchiha!" She said simply walking around her desk and closer to the troubled dark haired boy.

Those words were like a slap across the face. This baby... was no matter how much he didn't like it, family. If he doubted the words in the letter, there was no mistaking the eyes, the hair color... it was too much.

"I had hoped you would be man enough to get past your feelings for a dead man and do this as a member of the Uchiha clan, not a ninja on probation being forced by a mission." She said close to his ear in an annoyed tone.

Stepping away from the Hokage, Sasuke ran his hands through his hair. So many things were running through his mind at the moment. Feelings of anger, doubt, and worry. Somehow he made his way towards the baby who was still fussing, but not as much, he looked at it once again.

As if instantly recognizing him, the baby stopped crying and reached out a small chubby hand towards Sasuke. Kakashi sighed with relief.

"There are people after this child... ones that are also after you... as much as I hate to say this, it is safer with you." The hokage sighed and returned to her desk, beginning to put her papers back in order. "Its mother was murdered trying to get her baby to Konoha where she knew it would be safe. Are you going to let this child, an Uchiha, be taken in by others without the qualification to protect it?" She smiled as Sasuke slowly reached out and touched the baby's outreached hand.

"Telling me that won't change my mind." Sasuke responded in his normally unemotional tone. There was silence in the room for a time and Tsunade feared she would indeed have to order him to take the child.

* * *

Sasuke sighed as he tried to re-adjust the pack on his back. Not being able to use your arms in doing so proved to only irritate him more. Looking down at the sleeping child in his arms, he wondered what he had gotten himself in for.

The Hokage had said it was only temporary, that he would be in charge of the child until they figured out what to do, but he knew otherwise. As long as this child lived, there would be a threat against its life because of the potential in power and its parentage. As long as the child lived it would be an Uchiha, and he would be related to this child. There was no way any others would raise an Uchiha.

Ever since he had taken the child in his arms his life had changed once again. He felt quite nervous holding and being responsible for the tiny child only five months old, it was definitely a new sensation. However, in a way as he carried the child home he felt a bond… they were connected. Not only because this child was an Uchiha, but this tiny child had just as many problems as he had.

The age of the child surprised him. According to the note left by the now deceased mother, his brother had an ongoing thing with her, something that he had a hard time believing. But the eyes and the resemblance did not lie. The note went on to say that his brother never got to meet his child, but knew that she was pregnant. Many saw this as a weakness, or a possible threat to power amongst the Akatsuki. They had tried to terminate the pregnancy and her life on several occasions.

Somehow she had survived and had the child in hiding. A baby boy was born, several months after his father's death. Itachi never got to see his son. And now the very man who had killed the child's father, was charged with caring for it.

Looking down on the baby, Sasuke sighed. How was he to care for a child? He could barely take care of himself... and yet the baby slept peacefully in his arms, not knowing how messed up both their worlds were at the moment.

Approaching the Uchiha complex, Sasuke stopped for a moment before entering. What was he going to do now? He wondered as he looked around the place. He would need to clean, that was for sure... arrange the house like instructed and sort through his supplies. The supplies in the pack would tide them over for at least a day. But after that he would practically be on his own to raise this child.

"What the hell am I going to use for your bed?" He muttered as he carefully shifted the baby in his arms. Thinking hard he recalled a storage room where he hoped to find a crib or something. Smiling a bit as he remembered his dad saying his mother was a 'pack rat' at times, he hoped she still had a few baby items stashed away... it was a bittersweet memory.

"Well kid, I guess we better get things going..." Sasuke nodded, trying to motivate himself.

Setting the baby down on the tatami floor near the low table of the dining room/kitchen he removed the pack from his back. Digging out the formula powder and several bottles, the diapers and wipes, it all looked foreign and intimidating in a way.

"This is not going to be easy... for either of us." Sasuke said as he knelt over the still sleeping baby. Carefully picking him up, he used a large blanket to create a sling for the boy and tied it around his back. With the baby securely placed in the sling close to his chest, Sasuke decided to enter the storage room.

He had not gotten much accomplished, pieces of a crib were located and taken out of boxes, but the baby decided to wake up and become vocal. Running back to the kitchen, Sasuke didn't know what to do. Was it hungry; was it hurt, did it need a new diaper? As if things could not get worse from a crying baby, a knock at the door and a sweet sounding voice calling his name could be heard.

"Sakura..." Sasuke quickly grabbed the baby and ran to the door. She would know what to do...

* * *

Sakura was having a wonderful day. The morning with talking to Sasuke was like a dream. He had missed her. Finally a sign of feeling had come from the boy everyone called cold and heartless. He had indeed changed.

When she sat with him in the hospital, she was worried about him. He seemed even more devoid of life than she had remembered. He looked lost and in pain. She had not asked him to talk to her, because she knew he would not. All she could do was be there for him. And hope his heart could heal.

And it seemed like he was beginning to do just that. Maybe… she never knew exactly what to expect with the Uchiha boy.

Going over to Ino's house and telling her all about the encounter, the blond had told her exactly what Sakura had expected... to be careful and not get her hopes up.

And she wasn't... but then again, she was at his door. 'I just want to talk with him... to make sure he has changed... that is all..' She told herself as she approached the main house. It seemed so much more alive now that he was living in it again. Recalling the haunting feeling she first encountered all those years ago, she had felt bad for him. Not pity, because she knew that he hated pity. But it was just a sad feeling that he had allowed himself to live there for so long, adding to the pain he had experienced. Living all alone in those buildings, no one ever looking in on him... Konoha really had to do something about its orphan issue, and they had... a little too late for him and Naruto to benefit from it.

From within she was curious to hear what sounded like a baby cry and a shuffling of feet. Her interest was peaked as she knocked on the door and called out for him.

Within seconds the door opened and a frazzled looking Sasuke stood before her.

"Sakura... I'm saved... I don't know what to do..." He said while cradling a tiny bundle in his arms. Sakura had little time to prepare herself for the sight before her.

Sasuke and a baby... looking closer she saw a dark haired baby with a pale skin very similar to his... Sasuke and a baby... one that looked just like him... Sasuke and a baby... how could she be so stupid...

"Sasuke?" She felt her breath catch in her throat. "You have a baby?"

"Yes... I mean no... Look, it's a long story... but you're worked with babies before... what do I do? He won't stop." He asked but got no reply from her. Instead he saw a frown form on her lips and her eyes welled with unshed tears. He did not understand.

"You should ask its mother to help you!" She replied sharply. Before he even got a chance to get in another word, she continued. "You said... I thought... I guess I was wrong!" The tone of her voice only seemed to agitate the crying child in his arms, and the volume increased.

"Sakura... you don't understand!" His eyes went wide seeing her turning to leave.

"I understand enough! I thought you had changed... for the better! But I was wrong... I don't ever want to see you again!" And she ran... tears streaming down her face, she ran...

Sasuke was at a loss for words. What exactly had happened, he was not sure... but he had little time to think about it. He had a fussing baby on his hands. Looking out the door and finding Sakura completely gone from sight, Sasuke was left with a still cranky baby on his hands.

"Great, just how much worse can this day get?" He asked as he shifted the baby, after rocking it a bit he froze feeling wet fabric against his skin. "Damn it!"

* * *

_a/n: Poor Sasuke. He can never win, can he? So, the question is: What is in store next for Daddy Sasuke?_

_Changing diapers, shopping in town and time to meet Uncle Naruto coming up!_

_Review if you love sasusaku fluff!_

_Comments, suggestions, concerns, randomness, all are welcome!_


	3. Running Errands

_A/n: Well, welcome back. Sorry for the wait. Things have been hectic lately. Thanks for reading and the reviews!_

_Anyway, on to the next chapter!_

_Chapter 3_

* * *

The day was a long one. It was a day full of firsts for him; first diaper change, first time putting together a crib, first time heating a bottle; the first time he had to really worry about another person besides himself in a long time. It was not easy balancing his life and a child's.

Thankfully, at the moment the baby was sleeping soundly in the crib that he had placed in his room. Sitting on his bed looking over at the crib, Sasuke felt drained.

The sun was setting in the sky, but his eyes were locked on the baby; the person who had flipped his life up on ends. There was something satisfying about figuring out the needs of the child. Every several hours it needed food, and a new diaper. After feeding, there was burping... and after that the little tike would simply close his eyes and curl up near his throat.

The close contact was a rather new thing... something strange, but not unwelcome.

"It looks like it really is just you and me." He smiled, he had been with the baby all day and had yet to finish reading the note and find out its name. Walking quietly down the stairs he located the note in his pack.

Sitting down on the floor he leaned against the table while he read the note over, hoping the gaps of the baby's story would be filled in. His brother and the baby's mother had happened on each other during a mission to the Valley of the Mist. The note didn't say why or how the two got together, but simply that it was not a one night thing.

It went on to talk about the problems starting once the results were discovered that she was carrying the baby. One date in particular struck him... the mother wrote of one vicious attack, some three months before the birth where the father was injured and used up a great deal of power... his gut felt cold and he had to re-read the lines over and over...

Had he killed his brother because he truly was more powerful or was it because his brother was already tired out from an earlier attack protecting his unborn child?

Shaking his head, he read on wanting to forget that thought... she wrote how she had found shelter in a small village until the birth of little Kouhei, written with the characters for peace and calm... both things that were missing from Sasuke's life for a very long time...

"Kouhei..." He said the name, trying it out. It did suit the child, however, with his vocal ability Sasuke wondered if peace or calm would ever be part of his life.

Sighing from exhaustion, he put his head down on the table and closed his eyes. On top of the baby, he had nearly forgotten about his other visitor that day. The one that hated him now...

Sakura had been shocked to say the least when she saw little Kouhei. She had instantly thought it was his... well Kouhei was his now, but not how she thought.

His mind was confused at what to do next. He had always known she had liked him. More than liked. Her words from before he left the village had warmed him deep inside, if things had only been different, he could have told her that she was enough...

So her reaction was not out of character. She would be hurt to find that he had loved another. But how could he? She was the only woman in his life that would and could love him for him... bad things and all.

Would she listen to him? She had to know there could be no other for him... or at least he had hoped to convince her of that in the coming months. But would this be the final strike against him with her?

* * *

She wasn't crying anymore. No the time for tears had come and gone. Ino had visited earlier that evening to see how things went. There was no surprise in her reaction to the news. An emergency meeting of girl friends was called and soon her small apartment was taken over by several female nins.

The topic of the night was the apparent confirmation of the rumors that had been spreading around the village. But Sakura did not want to discuss it anymore. She had politely declined Ino's company and sent everyone home not too long after they had begun. After all Ino had a date with her steady and reliable, all be it lazy boyfriend. Sakura would not allow her trouble to tarnish Ino and Shikamaru's anniversary.

"That bastard… it was bad enough that he just left, but then to have a kid!" Ino had snarled as Sakura gently pushed her out the door.

"You're too good for him!" She called one last time before she left to get ready for her date.

Sakura was glad she was alone at the moment. As much as Ino meant well, running Sasuke through the mud and calling him names was just something that did not sit right with her. And that would make two things making her feel confused and out of sorts. Something else was just not right. It was almost a feeling in her gut that was at odds with her heart.

When she had gone to his house, she had been so optimistic and up beat. The crying she heard inside added intrigue to the mix. But what she found had shocked her.

There before stood the man she had been waiting for… holding a baby- an exact copy of himself. There was no doubt they were related… it was a miniature copy of Sasuke down to the pale skin and color of hair. Her heart felt like it was shattered. He had made no mention of this… you would think he would have mentioned it… or she would have heard about it before, right? .

It was just so sudden. She tried to recall excalty how she felt when she first saw the two. She had been shocked, and at a loss for words. And that is why she was a little angered with her reaction. She should have confronted him. Gotten to the bottom of things right then and there. She was not some love struck teenager anymore. She was stronger than that... she was smarter than that...

There was a conflict between her brain and her gut reaction to the idea of him fathering a child... that was why something told her there was more going on. But did she really want to hear it? After all those years of waiting for him, defending him, excusing his behavior to herself and others because of his past, could she take anymore disappointment from him? She had been sitting in her room, thinking. Things just did not add up.

Why was her life never easy?

* * *

Sasuke was awoken with a start as the sound of Kouhei echoed through the dark house. Sitting up quickly, his back and neck ached a bit. He had fallen asleep bent over the table, he had only meant to take a quick nap, but he must have been more tired than he had thought. Standing, he quickly put some water on the stove and ran to get Kouhei.

It amazed him how quickly he reacted. Granted he was not the best at folding a diaper, but he had the baby quieted in less than 15 minutes. Remembering seeing mothers rock their children, Sasuke tried the same technique to a successful end.

Little Kouhei was once again sound asleep. It was crazy how peaceful it could be one moment and the next total chaos ensued. He was still quite nervous while holding the child; it was just so strange to hold him in his hands. The baby was so fragile. The Hokage had made it a point to make sure he knew how to hold the baby, and do the basics. However, being alone and solely responsible for a life was nerve racking.

Somehow he made it through the first night. He was tired, there was little to no sleep on his part. Deciding to not even try to lay down for another chance at sleep, Sasuke walked to his closet. Usually he would watch the sunrise from his window as a matter of habit, however there was no time to stop and watch it today. He needed coffee or something asap. Never before had he felt this drained and tired… it was a totally new kind of tired.

Not really caring about what he would wear today, he grabbed something and pulled it on.

His head never left the wall as he walked down the stairs, it was too heavy to lift at the moment… he even needed a moment to collect himself before pushing off the wall and moving into the kitchen. He was like a sloth in the kitchen. Getting water boiling for both his morning pick me up and to warm the bottle for his house guest took longer then he ever remembered. Slowly he accomplished what he had set out to do… merely seconds before said guest made himself known once again.

Once the morning horror ended, Sasuke took stalk of the day. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to go out and get a few things. There was no way he could leave the kid there while he went and shopped… they would have to venture forth together.

Once Kouhei was securely strapped to his chest in a sling minding his head, Sasuke took a deep breath and walked out the door. He was use to the stares as he walked down the streets, but this morning he was having people flat out gawk at him and his bundle. It must have been a huge surprise to suddenly see two Uchihas walking down the streets.

If he was not easily annoyed with the passers by, he would have to laugh at the looks and then there were people who would flat out stop in the middle of the street, frozen with shock.

Was it so unnatural to see a young man and a baby walking down the street? Well, that would be nearly normal, but then again, it was him. He had never been just a normal young man, even before all the mess with his brother and then the revenge thing.

He had been in and out of the grocery store as quickly as humanly possible. No one tried to talk to him; it was like a three feet barrier was being put between him and the rest of the shoppers. The clerk looked perplexed as he paid of the formula and went on to the department store.

The cashier girl from the other store was a little more daring and actually went to try and touch the baby, but Sasuke, even before he could really think about it, moved quickly and the baby went unbothered.

His list of formula, blankets, and other necessities was taken care of, and he was slowly making his way back towards the Uchiha complex. Thankfully he had been able to get all his errands accomplished and only need to stop and feed the baby briefly.

Stopping to double check his list, Sasuke took a deep breath. Continuing to walk Sasuke, for some reason, enjoyed the cool breeze in the air. It was strange how much had changed in a day… and he was beginning to think the changes were not all bad.

Maybe it was a false sense of accomplishment that he had survived the first night with a baby, but he felt he could deal with anything life gave him.

In fact maybe he could even talk to Sakura before he returned home. It was with that thought in mind he made his way towards her house.

It took only a few minutes to get to her doorstep. He knew the way from all the times they had walked her home after a group 7 mission.

With a deep breath, he resituated his bags and knocked on the Haruno household's door. A smiling older woman answered the door- it had to be her mother.

The two looked very similar- not exactly, but he now understood why she was always concerned with her forehead… Thankfully hers was not as large… or wrinkled.

"Excuse me, but is Sakura here?" He asked forcing a smile.

The woman knew who he was from the look on her face. The expression went from shock to happiness, and on to confusion.

"She moved into an apartment some time ago."

Sasuke looked a little embarrassed. That only made sense that she would want to move out on her own after a few years had passed.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I've been… gone."

"It's ok. I have to say, you are more handsome in person. Why don't I give you her address, but don't tell her I gave it to you." The woman smiled.

Sasuke was shocked when she willingly gave him the address of Sakura's apartment. After all he pain he had caused her daughter, Mrs. Haruno seemed more than willing to help him.

He took the piece of paper and quickly but politely refused the offer of tea. Somehow the woman had not noticed he had a baby sleeping in the sling around his chest. He didn't bring it to her attention, because it did make things easier not having to explain things to her. So in the end he was not going to complain.

He had lucked out this time... Things were not going to be that easy with Sakura.

Looking at the note, he recognized the area and set off.

"You doing ok there Kouhei?" He asked and got no response－ not that he expected the baby to really say anything.

Taking the silence as 'Enjoy it while it lasts' Sasuke continued on, trying to enjoy the day. And he got to for a few minutes at least until a loud voice threw everything upside down.

"Sasuke-teme!"

* * *

_A/n: So- enter Uncle Naruto... how will this end for our new daddy?_

_Let me know what you think! Any and all reviews are welcome!_


	4. Natural

_Chapter 4_

_Sorry for the wait- I had issues to deal with- but I am back and ready to get on with the fic! Thanks to the reviewers and those who have waited for this update. I am back and ready to write!_

_And now- enter Uncle Naruto! You know this isn't gonna be pretty!_

* * *

The all too familiar voice screamed from out of no where grew louder and suddenly there was a fist coming towards his face. Dodging it swiftly and without trouble, Sasuke's anger only increased as he felt the baby shift in the sling.

"Naruto! Wait!" He tried to stop the orange haired ninja.

Instantly the bags of supplies were dropped, scattering and breaking the contents. It was either that our risk the baby being hit.

That pissed Sasuke off. But the last straw came with the second round of attacks and the total lack of noticing the sleeping baby. Naruto did not know what he was doing making Sasuke jump and move quickly with a baby about to erupt into a string of shrieks and cries. And he would be the one responsible with trying to calm little Kouhei.

Ducking a kick and twisting to dodge another, all the while supporting Kouhei's head was not extremely difficult after all he had been trained to deal with, however it was rather odd. Not to mention he was holding a ticking time bomb in baby form. Sasuke could feel Kouhei beginning to awaken from his nap… and then it happened. All hell broke lose.

Naruto's attacks stopped instantly and the ramen loving loud mouthed ninja used his hands to cover his ears; it did little to muffle the screams. The tiny child cradled to Sasuke's chest was awake and not happy… really not happy.

Sasuke groaned and shot daggers at Naruto with his eyes; if he had carried any he would have thrown them at the clueless ninja.

"Great Job You Idiot!" He snarled as he took the tiny Uchiha out from his sling and tried to rock him.

Last night this motion had appeased the tike, but currently the baby was too upset. He was not about to be quieted with mere rocking after such a startling wake up call.

"Come on… its ok. Just calm down… go back to sleep… this idiot didn't mean to wake you."

"Turn it off!" Naruto cried as he looked at the baby and then fell to the ground. Sasuke would have found it slightly amusing seeing the other ninja in pain from the shrieks… that is if he too was not suffering.

"I can't."

"You're its dad! You should be able to control him!"

"It's a baby, not a microwave! And I'm not its… never mind… just shut up!"

"Do something! Man that kid has some lungs!" Naruto sounded like he was getting used to the shrieks because he was no longer wriggling in pain on the ground. In fact Kouhei had quieted a bit. "Too bad it can't be more like its father- finally the silent loner type would be a good thing."

That comments was like a slap to the face. "More like his father." Sasuke hoped Kouhei would never turned out like his father… one murderous bastard was enough for him. Reality sunk in once again. He had kept the thought of whose son Kouhei really was out of his head for most of that day. But here is was once again… half of this child was that of his brother's genes and blood… half of this child was…

He didn't know how long he was standing there frozen- staring at the screaming baby in his arms before a pair of soft hands touched his arm. The soft hands then moved before he could even react and took the baby from his arms.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto sounded happier to see the pink haired woman. His euphoria was increased as her soft humming seemed to work splendidly on calming the baby.

Sasuke still stood there looking confused and somewhat startled.

"You are a natural Sakura!"

And she was. That is why is was such a strange moment. The stigma of the baby's origins all seemed to wash away the instant she held the infant. It just fit so well; he agreed with Naruto on that… and it wasn't just a supposed "motherly instinct" women seemed to have… it just clicked when she held the baby.

Sasuke couldn't take his eyes away from her.

"I guess even Sasuke Jr can behave when he's around the right people." Naruto smirked getting closer to Sakura and the baby. That angered Sasuke… he couldn't really tell why, but it was definitely irritating。

"That's not his name. And he's not mine!" Sasuke replied a bit harsher then he would have liked because the angry tone seemed to upset little Kouhei.

"Shh!" Sakura said as she protectively cradled the baby and walked a bit further from both boys. "That's a good boy. It's alright. Hush now."

She did shine brighter than any other mother he had ever seen holding a baby… and he had watched many families in his lonely youth.

The baby was once again sleeping and the three former teammates stood there in an awkward silence.

"So… if he's not yours… whose is he?" Sakura asked in a meek yet curious voice. She looked up from the baby in her arms to the boy… no man who stood next to her.

"It doesn't really matter whose he is… I'm going to raise him." Sasuke said not being able to look at her. His words were huge… could he really do this?

Sakura took the hint and quickly kept Naruto from delving deeper. She knew that in his own time and way he would tell her what was really going on… and she knew him well enough to know and understand the possible reasons for his words.

"We should get him home. I'm sure he'll be hungry soon."

"Does that mean he is going to scream again?" Naruto asked Sakura once again getting close to the baby. The ninja even when so far as to poke sleeping Kouhei lightly. The second time he leaned in to poke the baby again, he was stopped with a sharp slap from an angry Sasuke.

"If you poke him like that then yes, he will." Sasuke growled. Naruto took the hint and backed off.

"Want to get some ramen?" He asked, only to get an annoyed look from Sasuke who was beginning to pick up the mess of morning groceries.

"No." He said picking up the bags. He turned to Sakura who was cooing at the baby in her arms.

"Someone's cranky! And it looks like that's a trait passed down from father to son." Naruto said under his breath, but Sasuke and Sakura could still hear it.

And then Sasuke snapped. The newly picked up bags dropped and he was on the orange haired man in seconds. Sasuke's fists were white with rage. He was nothing like his brother… this baby was also not going to follow in his father's footsteps.

"He's nothing like his father!" Sasuke kept shouting as he hit the bewildered ninja.

"Sasuke! Stop!" Sakura cried trying to get in between the two. At the moment Naruto was throwing back punches with similar gusto. It was rather difficult to try and break up a fight while holding a baby.　And just like when they were teens, the two boys were fighting full out against each other.

Balancing while she latched her free arm on to Sasuke's arm was quite difficult. Her grip loosened as she felt the baby in her other arm move. The moment of imbalance was enough to throw her off of Sasuke.

Neither of the two fighters noticed as she fell backwards. Trying her best, she shielded the infant in her arms as she hit the ground with a thud. The wail of the baby stopped Sasuke and woke his from his lapse of sanity.

Naruto, getting in one last punch stopped to see Sakura on the ground with a once again crying baby.

"Not again!" Naruto cupped his ears.

"You know nothing about this… and all you're doing is making things worse."

Sasuke wiped the bit of sweat off his forehead and stood up. Looking down at Sakura he didn't know how to feel.

"As long as I'm alive, this kid will never become like his father." And with that he swiftly knelt down next to Sakura. He gave her a sad smile as a form of apology and took the baby from her arms. Forgetting the bags, Naruto and even a stunned looking Sakura, Sasuke walked away and towards home.

"So you want to get some ramen?" Naruto asked only to get a look from the pink haired girl that told him to stop.

* * *

Once he returned to the gates of the Uchiha complex his head had cooled off a bit. The walk also seemed to calm little Kouhei as well. The baby seemed to really like his naps. But that was the least of his worries. The Hokage would hear of his little fight with Naruto…

It wasn't until he entered the kitchen that he remembered the twice dropped groceries. He had gone to all that trouble to get them and still he left them there….all his troubles for naught.

Finding he didn't have the energy to go out again, Sasuke decided to try and make due for the rest of the day.

There was always tomorrow… tomorrow and the next day… and the next day…

He hated these moments where the severity of his predicament hit. Rain or shine, this kid was not going anywhere…

"What the hell am I doing?" He asked feeling confined and rather alone at the moment. Putting down the bottle he was currently heating up he rubbed his face. It had only been a day and a half and he was tired.

He barely had time to deal with his own issues with his past and his family, and now he had a new family and new issues…

Somehow he was able to get the bottle ready just as Kouhei decided it was dinnertime. He sat down and remembering the issues of the previous feedings kept a blanket in　between him and the hungry baby at all times.

Getting another milk shower and having to change clothes again was something he was not in the mood for.

Things seemed to be going rather well this time. Kouhei was indeed hungry and greedily sucked on the bottle's contents. His little eyes were closed and Sasuke could hear the baby try to drink, swallow and breathe at the same time. The bottle was going fast, and that had Sasuke a little worried. He didn't have much milk powder left. And the way this boy was drinking he would run out very soon. To avoid that happening had been the main purpose of his trek out that morning.

Thankfully the bottomless pit got his fill just before the end of the bottle. Shifting the towel to go over his shoulder, Sasuke carefully moved the baby and began burping him.

And then like magic the little tike was out; giving Sasuke a much needed period of quiet. Settling the baby into the crib upstairs, the weary ninja walked down the stairs and looked around.

The silence was a welcome thing after dealing with Kouhei for a time, but there was also something deafening about it. He never did like to be alone. As a child he remembered always wanting to be near his mother, or even if he was being made fun of 　 or looked on with harsh eyes, he wanted to be close to his father and brother.

Like a zombie of sorts, he walked to the low table where he had set the nearly emptied bottle; he moved and sat down without even thinking about it. He felt drained.

A soft voice accompanied with a knock at his door caught his attention. He had to command his limbs to move and stand, he was just that exhausted. But for her… he needed to talk to her… and this was his chance.

* * *

_A/n: And will this be his chance? Or will something mess it all up for our favoirte couple... and even then what lurks on the horizon... _

_Again sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoyed this, and look forward to the next chapter!_

_Please review!_


	5. Eventful Visit

_Chapter 5_

_a/n: and now we find ourselves at chapter 5. A lovely chapter filled with all the things that can rot your teeth…. I am talking about fluff! And its about damn time too!_

_Anyway, I would like to thank the few people who reviewed the fic so far. To those who have favorited it, please consider leaving me a comment. I would love to know your thoughts on the fic._

_Anyway, on with the show!_

* * *

Sasuke walked towards the voice. Knowing that he was given a chance to finally talk to her like he had wanted, and yet his heart was racing. He was not quite sure why she had followed him how, but that didn't matter…

Finding her a few feet from the door, Sasuke stopped. Sakura stood looking a little surprised to see him meet her. She was holding several bags of groceries in her arms.

"Sakura." Her name escaped his lips without him being conscious of it.

"You… dropped these… and I thought you might need them." Her smile was as sweet as it always was. And it gave him hope.

"Um… thanks." He forced out of his mouth. He stood there still not moving till his brain kicked back on. "Do you want to… come in?"

"Sure. How is he right now?" She asked as Sasuke took the bags and they both walked into the kitchen area.

"He's taking a nap at the moment." Sasuke said turning away to put the groceries away.

"That's good… so how are you right now?" She asked following him to the kitchen counter. Putting her hand on his, she stopped him from fussing with the groceries.

Sasuke was a bit startled by the touch; it was unexpected… but felt nice. She must have noticed he was a bit surprised, and yet she didn't pull away.　He relaxed a bit and looked up at her.

"I'm…" He stopped. Just how was he at the moment? After all that had happened… all that was happening… and things yet to come… he didn't know how he was.

Looking into her eyes Sasuke saw something in them; something familiar and hopeful.

But before either could say or do anything more a noise from upstairs broke them from any conversation they had been having.

Sasuke took off, moving quickly around a stunned Sakura. He didn't notice that she silently followed till he had bent down and picked up Kouhei from his crib.

"What's wrong little guy?" He asked the baby who was crying rather loudly. Taking the baby out from his bed, Sasuke rocked the tot for a time and yet he wouldn't stop crying.

Sakura was frozen for the umpteenth time that day with the care in the once missing nin's actions and demeanor. It was like she had seen more in him emotionally and otherwise in these short few months then she had ever before.

The pink haired women smiled seeing the cause of the baby's distress. Sasuke caught on quickly as well, getting a nice wet feeling to his stomach where the baby's lower half was resting.

"Looks like we need a new diaper for this little guy." Sakura said rubbing the baby's back. "And you might want a new shirt." She couldn't help but smile at the frustrated groan that came from the dark haired man.

"I don't think I have anymore clean shirts." He closed his eyes wondering what he was going to do.

"Well, I can help." She said taking the baby, who seemed to calm a bit more. "You get that shirt in the washer, and I will take care of his little monster."

Sasuke had little time to protest. She had taken Kouhei and had already found the makeshift changing area he had been using. Sighing, he nodded and took off the wet shirt.

He wandered over to his closet and found what he had expected- nothing much left in there besides some old black and white undershirts. Picking up the dirty shirts he had yet to get into the washer, he walked out of the room.

When he returned after starting the laundry, he noticed the baby had settled in Sakura's arms. A fresh diaper and sleeper were already put on the little guy. Sasuke was surprised to even find new sheets on the little bed. He smiled and picked up the dirty sheets.

"You are really something, you know that?" He said without really realizing he had said it out loud.

Sakura turned to look at him after she heard his words. It was strange to hear something like that from him. She couldn't help but blush from the combination of the words and seeing his well formed chest. To keep her mouth from dropping at the sight of him, she moved her attention back to the baby.

She had seen him shirtless several times at the hospital, but this time… it felt different. Now she was no longer the professional medical nin that needed to keep to decorum. Technically she could ogle him all she wanted now. Oh, the inner Sakura loved that idea.

"It's nothing really." She replied not knowing what else to say to that. "You've been doing fine by yourself."

"Yeah, have you looked at the state of this place? It's only been two days… I couldn't even go to the grocery without disaster striking." He scoffed running his hand through his hair. Moving over to the closet he pulled on an old sleeveless shirt. He felt a little strange standing there with her while he was bare-chested.

Sadly the shirt did little to help- it was for the body of a teenager and he was… not a teen anymore. But it would have to do for the next hour. He didn't have anything else he could wear except for some odds and ends of his father's and brother's that were up in the attic. He was curious to go and look up there to see all that had been stored away. As a boy, he wanted nothing to do with the memories that were housed there, but now… he felt as if he could handle it.

Almost involuntarily he turned his head and looked at the pink haired girl and the baby. It seemed so natural… so calming… so right. It was then that Sasuke was reminded with a clear image of what he could have had a long time ago… If he had not been so revenge hungry… and stupid.

This could have been his child and not…

"It wasn't your fault. Naruto isn't too good with taking hints and being quite… besides you were unprepared for all of this…" She said standing up and walking over towards Sasuke. Carefully she tilted the baby on its back, her arm supporting its neck and spine. "I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but I want you to know, I am here… I've always been here for you."

"I know…" He said looking at her with a sigh. "It's just this is…"

"Complicated?" She said pulling the baby back towards her chest. She hugged it gently before moving to set him down in the crib.

"Yeah…"

"I know you have never been one to talk about family things… to anyone. And I can only imagine what is really going on… but what I do see is a baby here and you are its closest thing to a father he will have… and he's a lucky baby to have you." She added as he moved closer to look at Kouhei.

"How can you be so… sure? I've not been very good at keeping myself from making a lot of mistakes in my life… how can I be expected to keep from making them when other's lives are concerned?" He placed his hand on the crib's guard rail and sighed looking down on the baby.

"Because I know you." She said placing her hand over his. "You are a good man Sasuke… no matter the past, you have gotten through all that and have come back stronger, smarter, and free from all that."

"Am I really free? Can I ever be?" He asked more to the heavens then to himself or her.

"You can do and be whatever you want."

Those words, her hand, the two of them there and how close they were… it was all messing with his head. The sweet floral scent wafted off her and it felt like she was all around him.

It was intoxicating to say the least. So maybe that was why he allowed himself to indulge and lean in closer… he had no idea as to where this would go or what would happen, other than he wanted her… and when she began to close her eyes slowly in anticipation… he knew…

The kiss was perfect.

Everything was perfect. His lips were on hers and the two felt like the world was no longer an issue. Neither could remember where they were or the pain they had both suffered for so long. All that mattered was the moment.

Sakura had been dreaming of this for years… she hated to admit that. But she knew that she wasn't your typical weak woman, she had proven that as a ninja of konoha. However, when it came to this man… he made her feel so much… it had evolved from a crush based on looks and a mysterious personality. There was no denying their feelings now.

* * *

_a/n: Yeah! Fluff!_

_So is our couple an official couple after this? It seems so… however, you know how life can be. What fate awaits our happy family? You will have to review to find out._

_Just click that button and feed a comment starved author…_

_REVIEW!_


	6. Domestic Bliss

_Chapter 6_

_a/n: so much fluff. It makes me happy.　And you all apparently, that was the most reviews per chapter in a while… plus the favorite numbers went up too. Ah, the attention whore in me is satiated. (20 dollar word! Hey- when you live in another country and have to use primitive English and a completely different language to communicate in, these things are a great accomplishment!) Thanks for the reviews!_

_Well, I made you wait long enough to find out that else is going to happen to our couple, so here…. Have chapter 6!_

* * *

The kiss ended sweetly. Sakura was not happy it ended, but the little after kiss he gave her before baking off left her breathless. She definitely liked the new Sasuke.

"Is this a dream?" She breathed out finally being able to get back to reality. But if this wasn't reality she didn't want to leave. His strong hand came up to caress her cheek and she felt as if she was melting. "Cause if this is a dream… don't wake me… ever."

"I won't." He breathed out giving her a quick little kiss to the side of her lips. For the first time in his life Sasuke didn't know what had come over him. Suddenly his years of loneliness and wondering where his place was in the world all seemed so clear. It had taken him so much pain to find the truth. But he knew what he wanted.

Taking her hand in his, Sasuke's dark eyes searched out hers. Seeing no signs of hesitation and a flash of excitement in her deep green orbs Sasuke made a decision.

Leaving the crib-side, Sasuke felt like he was driven by a higher power. The outside world and the little one sleeping in the crib were still a billion miles away as he led her over to his bed.

The next thing Sakura was conscious of was her back against a soft mattress. His scent was all around her. On the pillow, on the sheets below, on him above her… and it seemed right.

The kissing continued with a new fervor. Both were completely lost in the moment. Bare skin touched bare skin and Sasuke felt he was going to go crazy.

"Sasuke…" She moaned as he lavished her neck with his lips, while letting his hands roam under her shirt. The two of them stopped when Sasuke inadvertently found a ticklish spot on her side. The sound of her giggles, along with another more childish giggle echoed in their ears.

It was like a dowse of cold water. Sasuke lifted his head from her neck and turned to see the small baby sitting up on his own in the crib across the room. He could feel Sakura also stiffen underneath him. Her arms gently rubbed his arms and he got the hint.

Rolling off her, he felt a little embarrassed… well not a little… a lot actually. He didn't know what had happened. It was his first real kiss, one where she was able to return it. The last time he had caressed her soft lips was a chaste kiss goodbye when he left Konoha all those years ago.

"Sakura… I…" He was about to try and get out some sort of apology. He knew that he wanted her… he knew that now… but it was just going a little too fast. Had he scared her?

"Sasuke, look! He's sitting up!" Sakura smiled touching his hand on the bed. She didn't seem to be at all in need of some kind of an apology or mad at him. Instead, while her cheeks were still flushed, the smile and sparkle in her eyes just increased.

Sasuke sighed, rubbing his face. They had nearly done something that neither was fully ready for; something that was so unlike the usual Uchiha Sasuke, and here she was all excited about the baby sitting up. Looking over at his house guests, Sasuke smiled.

Sakura did not miss the smile on Sasuke's face. It was a rare treat; something that she was committing to memory deep in her heart. It was funny how calm she was on the outside when the inner Sakura was going a mile a minute. She had finally gotten some emotion out of him. "Some" was an understatement. It was quite a bit that he had been holding back.

Not that she didn't love where their actions were going… it just was a bit too sudden. And there was a baby in the room… she smiled squeezing his hand.

Standing up she straightened her shirt and tucked a stand of hair away from her face. Sasuke noted how swollen her perfect pink lips were… he had done that… he had also given her a mark on her neck. For some reason he felt proud of that. She had claimed him long ago as hers… now he had done the same with her.

Walking over to the crib, she smiled. The baby seemed wide awake and surprisingly content. And it was about time, Sasuke gave a scoff. That little guy had been being rather a cry baby for a while… and even thought the timing was a bit annoying, he was thankful that the baby was not crying.

"He should be talking soon, right?" She asked out loud as she knelt at the baby's crib.

"I… am not sure." He said standing up and walking over to her side. Sitting down he looked at the baby through the crib's gate. "I'm kinda new at this."

To this they both laughed. It was so true.

"Well, don't worry. If you need help… you have a lot of friends that can help." She said laying her head on his shoulder.

"Do I really? You and Naruto are about the only people who talk to me… everyone else just whispers and walks away…" He said the frustration evident in his voice. "Not that I blame them..."

"Things will get better… besides, I'm here for you." She smiled at the baby as it was trying to move around his crib grabbing for her fingers through the guard rails.

* * *

The day seemed to go by quite pleasantly after that. The two were able to enjoy a little time with Kouhei when he was not crying or eating or pooping. Sasuke felt more relaxed with another person there, one that had some experience with babies. Sakura was a medical nin after all. And the baby also seemed less cranky with the change in atmosphere.

During the day he noticed that he was always watching her. Scratching his head he couldn't understand how this addiction started. It was just something about all this, and the feelings that had finally surfaced. He knew in the back of his mind that his troubles were far from over. He was still an outcast of sorts in the village, and if he ever left the remnants of his and his brother's past were lurking as well.

In reality it was rather dangerous to open up. He and Kouhei seemed to be a target, and now she was letting herself become one as well. But she seemed to not care as she hummed a happy tune while showing Sasuke that having a baby was not all that bad.

He took note of her washing the baby with skilled and gentle hands. When she called him over to rinse Kouhei's hair, the older Uchiha tensed at first, but soon the three of them got into the swing of things. Sadly afterwards while Sakura was toweling off the baby, Sasuke wondered exactly who got the bath. His change of clothes was sopping wet thanks to the baby who seemed reluctant to get clean.

"Look what you did." Sakura cooed at the baby who still seemed wide awake. "You got your new daddy all wet." Sasuke had to laugh a little at the sound of her voice. It was cute if not slightly annoying. It was also the first time he had been called a daddy and he had not gotten upset. She truly was amazing.

With the laundry finished, Sasuke was happy to have a clean shirt to put on and shorts as well. Kouhei also had a fresh pair of clothes ready incase he decided to mess up his current outfit.

The new family had spent the majority of the afternoon relaxing and for the first time enjoying their new situation. However the peace was interrupted. It always would according to Sasuke who was still a cynic at heart. This interruption came in the form of a knock at the door. When opening the door an unexpected visitor to the Uchiha compound appeared.

There at the door stood their former teacher. Kakashi was smiling. Both of them could tell he was even with the mask in place. The scene in front of him was too good to not smile. There was the ever grumpy and silent Sasuke looking a little less grumpy, and a smiling Sakura holding a baby. They made a good looking family, he had to admit.

"Yo!" He said raising his hand in the air like he used to do when he greeted his former pupils. His ever keen eye went straight for the baby, almost if making sure he was still alive and there.

"What brings you here Kakashi-sempai?" Sakura asked while shifting little Kouhei in her arms and following the two men into the kitchen area.

"I brought you a book that might be helpful." Kakashi said in his laidback voice. Reaching into his pocket the orange covered manga was produced. Sasuke and Sakura looked at him with confused and a shocked expression.

"You are not giving us that!" Sakura growled turning Kouhei so that he would not look at the smut their teacher would always read. "He's just a baby."

"Opps. Sorry." The tall ninja scratched his head with a little embarrassment. "When he gets a little older I will be more then happy to share those…"

"You will not…" Sasuke snarled low as he glared at Kakashi. There was something not right about this visit… it felt odd in a way. Almost as if someone was watching them… and not the normal nins assigned to keep tabs on him from time to time… this feeling was more on edge.

"Ah, here we go!" Kakashi found another book from his pocket. Somehow the older ninja had managed to fit two books in just the small pockets on his jacket.

"How to Raise a Baby. 101 tips to being a Super Parent." Sasuke read the cover with little to no enthusiasm in this voice.

"But I suppose you won't need it now that you have your wife here." The smile grew when both the two nins flushed furiously.

"And things are going well I take it?" His meaning was left open to interpretation, and Sasuke didn't know exactly how to answer that. So instead he gave his mentor a look that told him to back off a bit.

The look didn't do anything to the older man, who took great amusement in the current situation. It wasn't everyday he was able to joke openly at Sasuke's expense and get away with it. Sakura and the child were doing him good. When his young student had returned after living a hellish life for years, the stress and hardships had aged the boy tremendously. However he could see the Uchiha lightening up a bit. However much he wanted to stay and tease the couple, he knew that he was in some ways on a mission at the moment.

"Is that all you needed?" Sasuke said recalling his former cold tone of voice.

"Can't I visit? I mean I am his uncle in some ways."

"No! He doesn't need any uncles. It's bad enough I have Naruto wanting to be his uncle, but you now too?" Sasuke's eyebrow arched looking at Kakashi. He could smell the alterative motives for the visit clearly… "So if there is nothing else…"

"Fine, fine. I get the picture. I will leave you to your happy family. Just don't get too carried away… too many babies to take care of might stunt your love life."

"OUT!"

"Fine, fine! Just remember babies need constant watching especially from little dangers around the house." Sasuke took note of the ever so slight tone change in his former teacher's voice. But before he could question the ninja further, Kakashi was gone with a wave.

"He was definitely not here just to give me a book." Sasuke said closing the door and returning to the room where Sakura was trying to get Kouhei to drink from his bottle.

"What makes you say that?" She asked looking up, letting Kouhei, for the first time really hold the bottle for himself. There was something about atmosphere that she too had picked up on.

Sasuke looked around the room before sitting down close to her. It was a bit sudden, but he moved closer and Sakura was taken back. Thinking he was going to kiss her, Sakura flushed again. However, she was surprised to find him lean in and whisper in her ear instead.

"Kakashi said something on his way out… I think they are expecting something to happen soon."

Sasuke's words stunned the medical nin. She didn't know the whole story about how Kouhei had come to be with Sasuke, but nothing with the Uchiha family was ever easy or uncomplicated. When Sasuke himself had returned, there were many issues about the members of the group he had been with after the demise of Orochimaru. Added to that she had figured out quite easily that little Kouhei was somehow his brother's child… it had to be… so there was also that group to deal with.

"What do we do?" She returned in a whisper. The word 'we' made him smile.

"We wait." He said moving back a ways and looked at her.

* * *

_a/n:_

_Oh no! A/N… that means the end of the chapter and full nother week or two till you find out just who is gonna rain on the parade… will someone rain on the parade?_

_We shall see what happens when our trio goes out for a family walk!_

_So remember- make me a happy author by reviewing!_


	7. Venturing Out

_Chapter 7_

_A/n: sorry for the long wait. Life has been hectic for a time. Thanks for all the reviews and comments. I enjoy them! So here is chapter 7, when we have a few more characters added to the mix!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

It was amazing what they found up in the Uchiha storage space. Sakura had recommended that they go out and buy a few things like a baby seat and a few other necessities, but then when he told her he found the crib in the space, she changed her mind.

The two of them armed with a baby monitor and dust mops entered the large room. Sasuke had felt a little odd looking through things before, but with Sakura there it was less of an emotional roller coaster. She had that calming effect.

The boxes were clearly marked; Sasuke's mother was a wonderful organizer. Sakura was mindful not to ask too many painful questions as she helped search through some of the baby boxes. It was hard to do when she would come across pictures or a cute little baby outfit worn by the stoic man at her side.

Finding practically everything they needed, the two were downstairs before Kouhei awoke from his nap. Sakura gave Sasuke a bunch of clothes and he wandered off to the laundry room to get them cleaned and ready for use. While he was doing that Sakura went to work on making the kitchen area baby safe.

After several hours of work, and several diaper changes later, the new make shift family decided to take a walk. Well, in truth it was more of Sakura wanting to take a walk, but Sasuke could hardly deny her. He helped her with the baby sling around her waist and shoulders before setting the baby against her chest. With the baby secure in the padded material, the trio left the confines of the Uchiha household and out into the world.

If he thought the whispers were bad when he went out by himself, they only doubled as she interlaced their hands and walked oblivious to the looks. But soon that thought was out of his mind; leaving his mind to lull and concentrate on the warmth of her hand.

They walked leisurely towards the park but had no real destination in mind. They simply walked and enjoyed the cool breeze. Sasuke finally was able to relax a bit. He had been on edge with Kakashi's cryptic message, but there was nothing he could do till something happened. Being overly paranoid would not help the situation.

As they walked, Sasuke shuttered as he caught sight of another couple walking towards them. He usually tried to avoid people from his past, especially the ones he had let down or caused so much trouble for. Looking at them and seeing it was too late, Sasuke was forced to come to terms that he would have to face them all...

"Sakura!" The long haired blond girl shouted as she waved. Ino had seen Sakura walking with Sasuke and started towards them, her brown haired lazy boyfriend dressed in his nin uniform in tow. Sasuke found himself face to face with two of his past friends within seconds. Neither had changed all that much in appearnce, except Ino had fulled out a bit. And they had both gotten taller. It reminded him of the length of time he was gone...

There was silence for a brief moment until the baby cradled in the sling around her chest began to squirm drawing all attention to him. The shocked faces of the couple only increased as Sasuke took the baby from Sakura's sling to try and calm the baby. At this Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled the pink haired girl a few feet from the boys.

"I need to talk to Sakura. Be right back. Girl Stuff!" She said quickly to the men before they could ask what was going on. Shikamaru looked from his girlfriend and her friend to his former classmate. He didn't know how to react towards the Uchiha before him. He had been among the many that were sent to try and save him, then kill him when it appeared that Sasuke was not the victim anymore.

It wasn't the fact that he had to leave his nice quite surroundings to do actual work; it was the pain that happened after. Not just the physical pain of those who were beaten by the super powerful nins from the other side, but the mental anguish of all his friends. Even if they had not liked the loner Uchiha, everyone looked up to him and his ability, his legacy… he was like family to many of them; there was no way around it. They stood there in silence until the baby had quieted down.

* * *

Sakura was whisked away from a stunned looking Sasuke by her blond friend. Once they were a distance away from the men, Ino turned and gave her a scowl.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Ino's voice was harsh. She obviously didn't like seeing her best friend with the main source of her friend's pain for so long.

"We were out for a walk…" Sakura began but was cut off.

"Not that! What are you doing with HIM?" Ino corrected. "Sakura, you know he's bad news! I was blinded by his good looks before, but we both know better now."

"Ino… look." Sakura sighed. She knew exactly why Ino was upset. Sakura had been a mess for a long time since he had left. Ino didn't want either of them to have to go through that pain again… but how could she not see the difference in Sasuke? Why was she the only one to see it?

"No! You look! Not only did he leave you and go off on some stupid revenge plan but he fathered a child? Where the hell is his loyalty? You have stayed faithful to him even though he never so much as showed you he cared! Does he except you to take care of someone else's baby? You are better then that!"

"Ino…" Sakura hugged her friend. Ino truly was her best friend. She was always there when she needed her the most. Even when they were enemies vying for Sasuke's affections, Ino would be there for her when needed.

"It's ok… he's changed…" Sakura smiled letting go of her friend a bit. "He has changed so much that is amazes me… he…"

"Sakura…" Ino could not believe her ears. The cold boy that had done everything to shun everyone had returned a changed man… looking over her shoulder to get a glimpse of the man in question, she was indeed surprised to see a faint smile on the usually ice cold man's face. Maybe he had changed… maybe Sakura's waiting had paid off… but that still did not explain the baby that he was holding.

"What about…"

"It's not his… originally. But he was kind of forced into taking care of Kouhei."

"What do you mean it's not his originally?" Ino asked confused. The baby, or what she had seen of it looked a lot like Sasuke. Even now looking at the baby who was laying its little head on Sasuke's shoulder seemed to look a lot like him.

"It's complicated… but I believe him… and he's really changed. It's finally happening…"

"Sakura…"

"I know. Be careful… but he needs me… he wants me in his life. He actually made the first move this time." She said remembering the kiss they had shared, how he had opened up to her, how it all started when he said he missed her.

"Just… just be careful Sakura. I don't want you hurt." She said hugging her friend. Sakura may thing that he was different, but Ino still did not trust him. He could be using her… would he do that?

"It's ok. Why don't you come and meet him. Little Kouhei." She added taking Ino's hand and walking back to the men.

* * *

"So…" Both men began watching the two women leave them standing there. Neither were known for their ability to gab, and neither really knew what to say. Sasuke knew that Shikamaru had suffered greatly for his stupidity. So what should he say to the nin now? Apologies were not his strong suit…

"I would never have expected it to be you." Sasuke was surprised that the other man spoke first. He looked up from Kouhei, who had returned to his nap, but this time resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder.

The confused look Sasuke gave must have been obvious because Shikamaru continued.

"To have a baby… family man… you never seemed like the type… especially when you left…"

"It's complicated." Sasuke replied. He knew he didn't have to explain anything to anyone… but he didn't want more rumors spreading. "All that matters now is that Kouhei is mine now."

"So… then he's…"

"Yeah… it's complicated." Sasuke stopped Shikamaru from continuing and saying the name out loud. He had to hand it to the man, he was smart. Then again if it wasn't his, and it looked like him, there was only one other possibility.

"And she's ok with all this? You aren't gonna leave again, are you?"

Shikamaru's tone was harsh; Sasuke knew he deserved nothing less.

"I'm tired… I've seen, been subjected to and survived more then many will in several lifetimes. All I want to do is restore my life to something that is normal… something that I deprived myself of..."

Before Shikamaru could push any further, a smiling Sakura pulled Ino back to them. She excitedly introduced Ino to the sleeping Kouhei on Sasuke's shoulder.

"So where are you two heading?" Sakura smiled knowing that the two had been dating on and off for a long time. It seemed that one good thing had come from Sasuke's departure and the pain it caused; it had made many relationships stronger.

"Well, we are on the way for some lunch… you both want to join us?" Ino asked not knowing if it was a good idea or not. Sasuke looked at the couple and then over to Sakura who was gently rubbing Kouhei's back.

"We… sho…" Sakura began knowing that Sasuke would likely say no. She would rather it be her who turned down the invitation.

"We would like that, if you don't mind having a baby with you." He stunned them all. Ino nearly bit her tongue when she noticed her mouth was open in shock. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and looked at Sasuke in disbelief.

"Let's go then." Sakura smiled excitedly. She was hoping that Sasuke could get back into the group with his old classmates. Maybe this would be the chance.

* * *

The ramen shop that the group had frequented when they were younger had not changed all that much. Sasuke was amazed that when the city rebuilt after the large scale attack things were rebuilt to look practically the same. The shop was a little bigger, but the outside was still the same tan color, it had the curtain and the stools in front of the cooking pots and the same old man was there working. However, there was a nice sitting area now for more private dinners in the back.

The two couples and a mildly awake baby entered the shop and they were quickly ushered back to the more private area by the old lady that worked with her husband. Sakura felt sorry for both the Uchiha boys as they entered. She noticed the looks from the elderly couple.

"Here, let me take him." She said offering her support. That and little Kouhei was now awake and wanting a little softer pillow. The couples were lead to a large tatami mat room.

"Let us know if you need to order anything else." The old lady said motioning for them all to enter before she turned and left. Shikamaru and Ino entered the room like it was nothing, but Sasuke stayed back a bit. He could hear that it was a large group in there due to the noise. Several familiar voices could be heard. Sakura giggled as she could only imagine the chaos going on between some of the men in there.

"Give me back those chips!"

"I said I wanna try some!"

"Naruto-kun, please. Food will be on its way." The softer voice came from a female this time in drastic contrast to the loud male ones before.

"But I'm hungry now! And he doesn't need them!"

"Arf! Arf!"

"You said it! They both are idiots."

"Look who go out of bed!" Came a voice that sounded like Naruto with a mouthful of chips.

"Shut up will you?" Came the reply from Shikamaru as he sat down and tried to relax. "We have a few extras."

Sakura entered all smiles excited to see her friends. Little Kouhei, who was resting his head on her shoulder didn't seem too thrilled at the moment, and Sasuke followed with a similar wary look. Instantly all eyes were on the couple at the entrance. Naruto dropped the bag of chips he had stolen from an angry spiked hair Choji. It was very uncharacteristic of either men to simply let precious snack foods drop to the floor, but no one seemed to notice. The rather husky man had stopped trying to reach across the table after seeing the couple.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. Sitting around a long table in the center of the room was practically the entire group that had graduated the academy and survived the first rounds of the dangerous exams.

The head of the table faced the door where he and Sakura stood. Sitting near a few empty spaces was Naruto with a large smile on his face. Next to him was his girlfriend Hinata now sporting long hair. Next to her was the ever annoying and still looking the same with the eye brows Rock Lee. The only thing that had chanced witht he boy was the vest signifing his accomplishments. Then there was Tenten who was always at his side. Shikamaru and Ino had sat down near the door on the other side across from the empty seats. Neiji and Shino sat quietly to their side of the couple, to Sasuke they looked the most changed with their attire- it wasn't a drastic change, but it felt more serious and almost dark- then again, maybe it was just his presence that made them that way. Choji, still as plump as ever was next to them in a redish outfit that boarded on reduculous looking and then a wide eyed Kiba, who also seemed to like the spiky hair style at the end of the table. Sasuke noticed the dog, Kiba's forever loyal companion Akamaru sitting in the corner.

Their eyes seemed to wait for his next move.

"I hope you don't mind." Sakura smiled sitting down next to Naruto and turning to Sasuke.

"See I told you it was true! My nephew is here!" Naruto smiled wiping his hands off on his pants and moving closer to Sakura and the baby.

"You are not his uncle idiot." Sasuke said trying to not sound really hostile. Everyone was on edge and he was trying… trying for Sakura's and his own sake to not make things worse.

"Oh, is daddy still all cranky? So, So, Sakura can I hold him?" Naruto was excited holding out his hands for the baby. "Come here little guy!" Little Kouhei didn't seem too excited about this prospect and instantly reached out for Sasuke finding he could not hide from the other man while in Sakura's arms.

Sitting down, Sasuke noticed all eyes were still on him, even more so when he took the boy back.

"Well, if that don't beat all… he's been domesticated." Came a remark from Kiba getting a bark of concurrence from a happy looking Akamaru. Naruto seemed to have forgotten his desire to hold the baby and snickered. A few of the other men seemed to find it also amusing.

Sasuke looked at Kiba with a glare that was so similar to the old Sasuke that the snickering stopped. Even with his current limitations from the Hokage's jitsu, he could still put up a decent fight against some of these people.

"Sakura-san…" Rock Lee, the boy who had once dreamed of winning over her affections looked away from Sasuke and the baby to her for answers.

"I suppose we can't continue without an explanation, can we?" Sakura asked looking from everyone to Sasuke. She placed her hand on Sasuke's arm.

"That would be nice." Neji said noticing the high levels of chakara coming from the baby in the arms of the only surviving Uchiha. He didn't have to even use his jitsu to notice that. The child was indeed a powerful force even as an infant.

"Sasuke… well…"

"This is my son. His name is Kouhei." Sasuke said as the baby suddenly took an interest in his hair. Sakura thought it was cute; Sasuke didn't seem to be as trilled.

"That's as much as you are gonna tell us, isn't it?" Asked Tenten. She and the others knew there was much more to the story.

"It is probably better you don't get too much involved in the story… its… complicated."

"I can't believe you would go and have a baby… especially with…" Tenten got a little angry. She knew how much Lee had loved Sakura. But the pink haired girl would never return his feelings because of the man there now.

"He wasn't… I…" Sasuke didn't know how to answer that. It hurt to think that they believed he could do such a thing to Sakura. Even when he was after revenge, he knew that she was the only one he wanted to be with…

"Its your brother's isn't it?" Neji asked in a serious voice.

"I said it was complicated…"

"So what are we all eating?" Sakura said not wanting to linger too much on the topic.

"We ordered several kinds of ramen already." Hinata said glad to start a new topic as well. Over the years the quite blue haird girl had come out of her shell enough to converse with others, but that did not mean she was any less timid when speaking. The relationship between her and Naruto had not surprised anyone. It was common knowledge that she liked the guy, but they seemed just so opposite; the quiet beauty and the loud brute.

"Thanks. Should we order some more?" Sakura asked but it seemed like they had ordered quite enough. That was evident when the bowls began to come into the room. Once the food was in front of them, the tension in the room seemed to melt and things returned to a quasi-normal. Sakura and the girls chatted about many things while most of the boys stuck to concentrating on eating until they were forced into the conversation.

All in all it was a good evening. Sasuke was a little worried that Kouhei would explode with all the noise, but he seemed to enjoy the attention showered on him by the girls that was after his bottle. The guys seemed more pensive about the little tike. Sasuke didn't blame them. He had been like that… and still was to a point. But with Sakura there, he felt better.

Without warning another visitor stuck his head into the room.

"So that's where you are." The sleepy yet jovial voice of Kakashi called out. Putting out a hand in greetings he moved to enter the room.

"Kakashi…you... loser! You're late for… fo…food." Naruto smirked; he had been drinking and was now half hanging on Hinata to keep himself upright.

"Oh, sorry. An annoying group of wasps were buzzing about the village. It took three nins to destroy them all." He lied nonchalantly.

"LIAR" Naruto hiccuped pointing at his former teacher.

"Can't you ever tell us the truth?" Sakura asked holding the baby in her lap. "I don't think I have ever heard a normal excuse on being late from you."

"The truth?" Kakashi asked while cocking his head to the side a bit. "Well, I guess it would Iruka's fault then. You see he…"

"Never mind. We don't need to know." Several of the room's inhabitants said quickly before the older man went on about the relationship they all knew had been going on for years between the two nins. Knowing Kakashi he would take things a bit too far.

"Anyway, I didn't come to join in the party. I came to see our newest daddy."

Sasuke looked up from his half empty glass of beer. There was a serious look in the older man's eyes that worried him. "The Hokage wants to see you tomorrow. Come by first thing in the morning, will you?"

"I guess I have no choice in the matter." Sasuke said turning back to his beer.

"Well then, have a nice night. I am off to do…"

"We don't want to know." They cut him off before he could finish.

"I guess it is getting late." Sakura said noting the time. "Kouhei here looks like he wants his bed."

"You're leaving already?" Naruto whined. "But we haven't even talked about the after party!"

"I know what happens at those after parties, and I don't want any part of it." Sakura said standing up. She looked down and was surprised to see Sasuke already standing. "You can stay and hang out with the boys."

She knew that it was a good sign during the evening when the guys started to loosen up around Sasuke. She could tell that some of them still harbored some hard feelings, and rightfully so. But they had been very good about welcoming him back in the group even the little that they did. And Sasuke seemed to actually lighten up around them

But she could see that he was uneasy. It might be too soon to expect anything substantial.

"I have to meet with the Hokage tomorrow. I can't be drunk for that… and I have a baby now…" He said picking up the sling and wrapping it around his back and shoulders. Sakura nodded and helped him put sleeping baby safely inside the cloth carrier. Everyone watched the couple not exactly knowing what to make out of it.

"We'll see you guys later. Thanks for the ramen." She smiled and waved goodbye. Sasuke nodded and followed her.

"Don't be a stranger! I want to see my nephew again soon!" Naruto called in his semi-drunken stupor.

* * *

The pair walked towards the Uchiha house. It was definitely a night that neither would forget in a long time. Although it was not an overly romantic night, one where there would be candles and hand holding, she found that it was a very nice first date.

The sun had long since set and both were amazed at Kouhei's relax attitude about the evening. Most babies would have fussed being away from his bed for such a long time. Walking into the house, Sasuke took the baby directly to his bedroom and the baby crib. Once he was in bed and the baby monitor in place, he returned downstairs to find Sakura tiding the room.

"You don't have to do that. You've helped me out so much already…" He said stopping her from continuing her cleaning.

"I suppose… it is getting late. I should be heading…"

"You could stay… I mean… the place has tons of room… you…" He looked rather cute fumbling for words. But it was a good sign, right?

Sakura smiled. She had not been looking forward to the walk home in the dark. That would have signaled the end of this fairy tale like day.

"I can give you some clothes to wear… and you can sleep in my bed… I'll take the couch or something."

"Are you sure I'm not intruding?"

His shake of the head and smile made her brave. He left for but a moment and came back with some extra clothes. He handed her the items and their hands touched. The inner Sakura jumped at the chance. She took his hand and moved closer. Their lips met once again… it was a good first date indeed.

* * *

_a/n: So... we have a day in paradise. Things seem to be going well... but what does the Hokage want? And Kakashi's warning... what exactly is going on?_

_You will have to wait and see!_

_Remember to review!_


	8. Bad News

_a/n: sorry for the wait! Lots of things came up- long story short, I was busy but I am back. And an extra long chapter for you! Hazzah! Regular updates are on the way!_

_Onward we go!_

* * *

The sun was an unwelcome visitor into the room. It shone through one of the curtains directly onto her face, causing her to awake from her oh so peaceful slumber... when she was able to get it.

The day had been long, emotionally draining at times and yet wonderful. The night had however, not been so nice. She should have known it would not be a nice relaxing night with a baby.

She had anxiously taken a bath and prepared for bed in Sasuke's bathroom. She could not help but take her time and enjoy the scent of him all around her. The type of soap he used was distinct. And she loved it.

His scent was even on the over-sized tee shirt he had given her to use as pajamas. The fabric felt good against her newly cleaned skin, and her damp hair was pulled up in a bun to keep it from tangling.

Walking down the hall to his room, she was surprised to see him already for bed when she returned to the room. The above the knee dark blue boxers and the white shirt seemed to fit him perfectly, showing off his strong arms and powerful legs. He had a few extra sheets in his hand and had been making up a small bed on the floor.

"Hey." He semi-smiled seeing her enter the room. She had been stopped in her tracks, by what he wasn't quite sure.

"Hey." She smiled back. "You camping out or something?"

"You can use the bed- the others bedrooms haven't been cleaned in a bit… so at least the sheets on my bed are clean." He motioned for the bed, already turned down for her.

Sitting on the large bed, she felt herself sink into the soft material of the mattress. It surprised her that he would sleep on such a soft mattress. All those nights always when they were on a training mission he would sleep on the ground while giving her his mat. She had just assumed that he liked a firm mattress. That made her smile. Even when he was cold to her, she knew he had feelings. She wasn't a dumb girl. There had been something there after all… she had a feeling there was.

"Are you ok with that?" She asked watching him as he lay on the floor and drew his knees towards his chest.

"Like what?" He asked turning to look at her just sitting on the bed.

"On the floor." She said pulling her legs up in the bed and under the covers.

"I've slept on things much less comfortable for many years." He said closing his eyes. "We should get to sleep. This little guy loves to get up during the night."

"You could…" She began feeling a blush coming on. "It would be more comfortable… and you do have a bed that could fit like three people."

"…" His expression showed that he was torn. It was true he was not looking forward to sleeping on the floor when he knew there would only be limited sleeping time.

"And like you said, he will be up several times tonight." She didn't want to sound as if she was pleading for him to sleep next to her… but the thought was quite thrilling.

Sadly he declined her offer then, however two episodes with Kouhei later, Sakura awoke with a smile on her face. Not only had he fallen asleep in bed, but he had curled up next to her. In turn she moved closer and contemplated the pros and cons of using his chest for a pillow. Giving in and letting her head slowly drop and rest on him, she smiled.

That was before the current situation she found herself in… the stupid sun had decided to try and ruin this moment. Trying to turn her head away from the sun, she found a large warm body keeping her from shifting too much.

Sometime after she had rested her head on his chest the two had become more intertwined. She found herself with her back pressed up against his chest, both of them on their sides. His head was tilted a bit in a pillow of her hair. And strong and warm arms encircled her waist keeping her securely against him.

Sakura sighed. If it weren't for the sun in her face, this moment would have been perfect. But the sun was not going to let her have the morning she had always dreamed of. Not wanting to ruin the moment, and yet not wanting to go blind she decided to try her luck. Maybe she could use some of her ninja skills to move without waking him. He had after all been the first to always wake when little Kouhei needed anything. Sasuke must be tired; maybe he would sleep through it.

It was a futile effort as he instantly woke when she moved. His movements were fast and sudden as if he was on alert. Kneeling on the bed above her, Sasuke's eyes and body took in the scene. The tension was high; the way his muscles contracted as if ready to do battle, Sakura could only lay there motionless… watching his eyes finally calm. Finding it was only Sakura there, he relaxed and sunk back into bed beside her.

"Sorry." He said lying on his back not touching her. His heart had been racing for a moment… he was in a nice and warm dream, and then suddenly his senses told him there was a strange movement in his bed. For so long he had needed to always be on alert.

Even though he had been back at home for some time, there were still things he could not forget. Those long years on the run had scarred him. Always being prepared… never being able to relax… and then waking up with someone else in your bed…

Embarrassment was obviously running through his mind. But also a fear. Would he ever be used to others so close?

"Don't worry." Sakura smiled as she sat up. Noticing her shirt was hanging low in front due to the size difference, she adjusted it. Turning to look at him she felt her heart contract.

Sasuke. He had been a source of strength. And now. What was he? Finally she was getting to see the human side of the enigma but at what cost to him?

"Want some breakfast?" She asked as she got out of bed and stretched. Was it the soft mattress, or maybe having a human pillow but she felt good. Even with the lack of sleep.

Sasuke grunted. His hands were over his eyes. Thankfully his breathing had calmed. Sakura would have thought that he had fallen back asleep if it wasn't for his reaction to Kouhei's cry.

"I got him." He said as he got out of bed and walked over to the crib. Leaning down to pick up the crying baby, Sasuke rocked back and forth calming the little guy down.

Sakura smiled and left the room. Breakfast was waiting.

Sasuke felt Sakura leave the room. With a sigh he rested his head on little Kouhei's.

"I'm a mess." He sighed. "And by the smell of it, so are you." Walking over towards their changing area, Sasuke attacked the dirty diaper as if it was the cause of his frustration.

Once the diaper was changed, Kouhei seemed to brighten up. It was moments where the little boy would grab at his hair when Sasuke didn't know exactly what to feel.

There were times when he wondered if he was fooling himself with this new life thing. Walking down the hall and down to the kitchen he stopped in his tracks. The fan on the shirt she wore suited her. It was like he was in a dream with her. He had always wanted this. He was at the threshold of finally obtaining a happy life… and it scared him. Things always seemed to go wrong with him when he got to this point in life. He didn't want to lose her… or his child.

* * *

Breakfast was a pleasant experience. Kouhei, after his bottle and large amounts of attention was as happy as ever. The baby seemed to also like trying to grab at their chopsticks and putting almost everything into his mouth.

"Are you sure you will be ok with him?" Sasuke asked as he helped Sakura into the sling.

"You can't really take him to the Hokage's office can you?" Sakura replied. "What if it's some kind of important meeting with the elders and he needs a diaper change? Besides, I have to get a few things from my place. I don't mind taking him with me." Sakura smiled down at Kouhei after Sasuke gently placed the baby inside the sling.

"I guess…" Sasuke agreed. "I'll be home right after I am done." He patted Kouhei on the head and then as if by instinct leaned in towards Sakura and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

Sakura was stunned but said nothing as he pulled away and turned. Watching him wave before he walked out the door, she finally came back down to reality.

"Good luck." She waved standing in the door. "Things are looking up little guy… for the both of us."

* * *

The walk to the Hokage office was never changing. It was the same in the old city, and still the same on this journey. The night of peaceful sleep, when allowed and the happy morning of laughter and warmth were actually making him look forward to returning home later that day. It was indeed a strange feeling for the Uchiha boy. He had not felt that way for a long, long time.

Sakura had said she was going to pick up a few things from her apartment. That meant she was serious about his offer at breakfast. He had worried it was a bit soon… well, really way too soon… but he had asked her none the less. The added help dealing with Kouhei wasn't even in his mind when he had said he liked having her around. The discussion of them cleaning out one of the other rooms in the main wing near Sasuke's room for her to use was nothing compared to them actually agreeing to go on a date.

A date.

An official beginning to a relationship that had building for years.

It sacred him. It thrilled him. It gave him hope.

The doors to the Hokage office opened and her assistants ushered him. It was the first time he didn't have to wait. And that meant trouble.

The maps and papers scattered around the room looked as if the leader of the Konoha had been up most of the night. Her eyes looked tired and on edge as he neared her desk.

"You wanted to see me?" He said sensing the seriousness of the room. Kakashi was there and had yet to make a joke or comment, which also meant something was wrong.

"We have news that several groups are on the move." She said pushing the maps over towards him to take a look. Her powerful hands pointed at several areas in the Sound and Mist territories. Sasuke recognized the areas well from his time away. He knew the locations of the hideouts several underground groups used from time to time, which meant he knew who was coming to Konoha.

"Are you sure?" He asked knowing their destination and their purpose. Suddenly his happy family opportunity seemed to be crumbling before his very eyes.

"It's hard to say if they are working together or as separate entities. But you can guess who they are after."

"My son." Sasuke answered much to the surprise of all in the room. Tsunade game him a weary look and Kakashi merely nodded.

"You know what we have to do then." She said unable to look at the young man standing before her.

"Do I?" He hissed feeling instantly betrayed and angry. He knew what they wanted to do.

"Sasuke… you know that if there was a way…"

"So what? You give me Kouhei to take care of for a few days only to take him away in the end?" Sasuke's anger flared up. "You sucker me in saying I am the only one who should and can take care of him… you make it a matter of duty to my family to accept my brother's child as my own… and then you change your mind? Just like that?"

Sasuke threw his hands up in the air in utter frustration.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi began.

"No!" Sasuke shouted. "He is my son now. He stays with me!"

"Look… if we had known that this many…" She tried to reason but was cut off by Sasuke throwing the maps on the floor. There was silence as the papers scattered and all landed on the ground.

"How do you expect to keep him safe from pretty much every enemy you and your brother made?" Tsunade growled seeing that Sasuke was not about to back down.

"I don't know how! Ok?" Sasuke took a deep breath trying to calm himself. At the moment he didn't know if he was more scared to lose Kouhei or the happy home that seemed to have been created when he took the baby in… would Sakura still want to be with him if there wasn't a baby to play house with? Was that what all this was? Just a game? So many insecurities bombarded him that he could hardly breathe.

"He's an Uchiha. I am his only family. I will protect him. I want to protect him!" Sasuke said calming his nerves. Now was not the time to worry about everything. He had to calm down and think straight.

"Told you he got close to the little tike…" Kakashi walked closer to the two other occupants of the room. Placing a hand on his former student he looked sympathetic.

"Don't look at me like that." Sasuke hissed moving a step away. "Why did you give him to me? You thought it would be funny to show me a life I couldn't have? To torment me? Was this some kind of a joke? You fake the whole thing? Is he even my brother's child?"

"I never thought you would become so attached to the child in such a short period. For that mistake… I am truly sorry." Sasuke could tell those words were hard for someone like the Hokage to utter, however that did not make things any better. "But there is no way we can keep it here."

"It has a name… it has a life…" Sasuke said in a low voice. "With me!"

"Look. I don't like this. We never thought all your old acquaintances were going to try something at the same time. I promise you we will take care of Kouhei."

"If I can't protect him, who can? Who will you get to protect a baby? MY baby?" The silence in the room only added to the anger inside of Sasuke. Why were they doing this to him?

* * *

He felt worthless. No… less then worthless.

Wandering around for most of the day after his discussion with the Hokage didn't help either. He wanted to clear his mind, to think things through, to find a way to tell her…. But the pain only increased. The feeling of helplessness once again filled his soul. But this time it was worse than ever before.

It was true that he had gotten attached to the baby… to little Kouhei. He had only had the baby for three days now and his life had changed. For the first time he had a goal that did not include death, destruction or pain…. Well not real pain. Getting up at weird hours of the night, and dealing with assaults on his nose did not even qualify as pain in his book. He had been through real pain.

Not only was he getting used to the new life with a kid, but there was another that needed to be told. And that was eating at him. She looked so natural and happy there with Kouhei. And in a day or two that was all going to change. He would go back to being alone… she would see how worthless he really was and that would be the end…

The sun told him it was past noon. He rounded the corner and saw his house. The smell of something caught his nose. She was there… cooking. Fear slammed into his stomach. It was a house now.

And he had to disrupt that… Somehow his legs pulled him closer when his brain wanted nothing but to run away. She heard him approach and called out to him before he even got the door opened.

"Daddy's home!" Sakura smiled as she heard and felt Sasuke walk up to the door. Kouhei gurgled with delight as she knelt down and picked him up. "My, you aren't cranky anymore. Let's go and see Daddy."

Sakura rested the tike on her hip and walked towards the door. The two were all smiles, as they watched Sasuke enter and take off his shoes.

"You'll never guess what Kouhei did!" She started out all excited. "He can almost hold his own bottle!"

Sasuke's look of seriousness and worry met with her cheery and glee filled eyes. It was worse then any stab wound he had ever experienced. He felt even worse when her expression changed.

"What's wrong?" She asked holding Kouhei tighter. The movement of her arm caused Kouhei to turn his head. Once the tiny baby had noticed Sasuke was there a smile and a gurgle rang in the silence. Little chubby arms reached out and dangling legs kicked lightly.

Sakura looked worried as Sasuke gazed at the baby in her arms. It seemed as if he did not know what to do. She knew then that the meeting had not gone well. And that something was obviously hurting the man before her.

However, the baby did not know that. When Sasuke did not react to the baby, it only added to the squirming Kouhei was doing.

"Is everything ok?" Sakura asked stepping forward a bit, ready to extend her free arm to offer support. But she stopped when she met his eyes. They looked lost.

"We have to talk." Sasuke sighed as he finally moved. Taking Kouhei in his arms, he left the entryway and into the main rooms of the house. Sakura was left to watch them walk away. Whatever this was, it was not going to be fun.

* * *

"What can we do?" She asked sitting on the tatami mats near the low table. Kouhei rested his back against Sakura's chest while the two adults picked at their food. Sakura looked desperately at the man sitting across from her.

"There is nothing we can do. The Hokage has decided to find him a safer place."

"Safer place? Where?"

"I don't know." He said not looking at her or Kouhei.

"So we can't do anything? We simply give him back?" She asked pulling Kouhei closer to her chest.

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. Why was she making this harder than it already was? Didn't she know he didn't really want to lose him either?

"I asked her if there was a way to reverse her jitsu and give me back my full abilities. I know their weaknesses. I could at least help." He shook his head. "Releasing the binding early or forcing it off would… kill me…"

That piece of information hit hard. Sakura was worried about Kouhei, but she was also worried about Sasuke. How far would he go to keep this child? This could be the end of the man before her for good. If he crossed the Hokage concerning the child…what would happen?

"It's for the best… he really isn't mine anyway. Just another orphan…" Sasuke's voice was tense and void of emotion. It was like seeing him back when he was younger: all blank and moody.

"How can you say that?" She countered quickly.

"Can't you see I'm not supposed to have a family… not after…" He trailed off looking over towards the area where the murders took place. Standing up he looked straight at her. "I'm cursed Sakura. You should get out while you can. It's my punishment to be alone…" His arms slumped and he turned away.

"You really think that?" Sakura felt tears welling in her eyes. It seemed that Kouhei noticed the mood change in the room too. Sakura felt the tiny baby place his hand on her cheek, tapping it lightly. "How can anyone not be meant for happiness? Or is it because you think you can't give or receive it anymore?"

There was a silence between the two. The only sounds were from a now fussing Kouhei. Sasuke stopped but did not turn around.

How did she do it? Every time they were in this type of situation… how was she able to figure him out so well… so completely? And even before he had truly figured things out in his own mind? She knew he was scared. She knew he doubted that he could love as freely again… not without getting hurt.

"Uchiha Sasuke. That is the coward's way out of this! You can't give up like that! You have to fight!"

"Fight?" Sasuke couldn't help but flinch at that word. "I don't want to fight. I'm tired…" Sasuke stopped and turned. His eyes showed signs of resignation, but the expression he wore was that of contempt for that emotion. "I'm tired of losing everything important to me."

"There are things in life that are worth fighting for. Isn't he worth it?" Hugging the baby she moved to stand.

"Sakura… I'll…"

"Well, I'm not going to let this baby go without answers." Turning towards the door Sakura had decided on a course of action. Maybe Sasuke couldn't get answers from Tsunade, but she could.

"Please…" Sasuke's voice stopped her. "I've spent all morning fighting her. There is nothing you can do… so… let's not spend our last day like this… I want to enjoy this for as long as possible. And maybe we can find some answers…think this through…"

Sakura sighed and nodded. Turning she could see the relief in his eyes. Walking back over towards him, she allowed Sasuke to take the baby.

"No matter what… I am still going to be here. Ok?" She assured him as she touched his shoulder and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

The rest of the day was rather surreal. They changed diapers, played with the baby, and got ready for bed. All the while neither wanted to talk much about this being their last night with little Kouhei.

Even though Sakura had her stuff moved into the adjoining room, the two slipped under the covers with Kouhei lying in between them. Both Uchihas were lying on their back, while Sakura was on her side looking down on the baby.

"Do we have to just hand him over? Can't we go with him to where ever they are taking him?" She asked breaking the silence.

Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

"Running from them will not stop them. No matter where they try to hid Kouhei… the Akatsuki will not let him live… and my old group… well I didn't make too many friends returning here and we had always been fighting against the Akatsuki… they won't let them get their hands on anything without a fight."

"What do they want with Kouhei?" She asked rubbing the baby's fuzz ball head. The dark hair was so soft and smooth against her fingers. She mused it must be from the babies mother. The Uchiha hair was rather coarse and strong… just like their personalities at times.

"It depends…" Sasuke sighed still looking straight up at the ceiling. "They will see the power potential… I am sure if you ask Neji, he will tell you how powerful the kid is right now… His mother was also a nin. She was able to protect Kouhei well enough until just recently. If they think they can use him… they will keep him and raise him not knowing anything but hate…. Or they will opt to get rid of the power if it is too much to control."

Silence consumed the room once again at the thought of both options. Neither wanted to see either option happen. And a life on the road, or in some hiding spot was also not a desirable way to grow up or live. Sasuke had already lived a life in the shadows… he did not want Sakura going through that. Ever!

"Will you… go with Kouhei to wherever Tsunade sends him?" Sakura asked looking over to the leader of the Uchiha clan. Her hand slowly came to rest on his forearm when he did not respond.

"I don't think I can… She's going to send him out of the village… once I cross the city lines without her permission, her jitsu will bring about my death." He said finally turning his head to look at her. "And she seemed adamant I stayed here…"

"I feel as if I am losing you again. You plan on following him, don't you? Even though you know it will kill you." Tears welled in her eyes. Slowly they began to flow. "I'm sorry." Sakura tried to turn away, but Sasuke's strong arm stopped her.

Sitting up and mindful of the baby between them, Sasuke grabbed her arm stopping her from turning away. Wiping a few tears away with his thumb, he caressed her cheek.

"I only seem to hurt you. So why do you always come back to me?" He asked.

"I've been asked that question for years." She smiled.

"Oh yeah?" He too couldn't help but to smile back.

"It's because I love you. I've always loved you… its been a painful road, but I know that I will never stop." Sakura was once again surprised by a sudden kiss to her soft lips.

Leaning down while balancing on his hands, Sasuke felt the urge to kiss her.

"I will do whatever it is you want me to do." He whispered as he nuzzled her neck, breathing her in.

* * *

_A/n: Well, we know that trouble is a coming. And do not worry, it won't take me that long to update again! Promise! _


	9. No Fun Goodbyes

_A/N: You are back! I am happy you are. Because the action starts here! All the waiting and wondering what will happen with little Kouhei is gonna start!_

_So sit back, relax and get ready!_

* * *

The morning once again came too soon. Even with Kouhei being a bit easier to manage, neither nin got much sleep. At the moment the three were warm and close. Sakura held a sleeping Kouhei to her chest and resting happily against Sasuke's chest. To anyone who entered the room, they would look like a happy and content family. However, the only reason neither wanted to move was the realization that once they did, the day would have to begin.

"Sasuke?" Sakura broke the silence. She knew he was up. His breathing had evened out and his arm that had been draped around her had been rubbing the silk nightgown she wore. His breath was warm against her neck, his entire presence was warm. And she was worried this would be the last time they were together.

"Hmm," he said showing her he was awake but not ready for normal speech.

"Are we going to spend the whole morning in bed?" She asked turning her head to try and look at him. She was surprised when his lips met hers.

"You two can stay in bed for a bit longer. I will get breakfast going." Before she could protest, he had rolled out of bed skillfully enough to not wake Kouhei.

Sakura smiled sadly as she let herself sink back into the mattress. They had to take Kouhei to the Hokage's office that afternoon. Kakashi had stopped by last night while Sakura was giving Kouhei a bath. But she knew what their former teacher had told Sasuke.

It was going to be a rather depressing day. And it was a gamble on if she would lose one or both of them. As much as she had grown to enjoy having Kouhei around, the thought of losing Sasuke again was too much. And she knew that this time if he left, he would not be coming back. The Hokage's power cap on his abilities alone made it nearly impossible for him to defeat all his enemies. Adding on his probability of surviving leaving the city limits without the Hokage's approval, it did not look good.

What would this day bring?

Rolling on to her back, Sakura sighed.

"Just laying here won't make it go away. I guess we have to get up and face the day. Maybe things will turn out…." She sat up and looked down on the happy gurgling baby. "And maybe then I can keep you both. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Kouhei smiled up at her. It was a carefree smile. This little baby had no clue the amount of hatred and fear that others felt for him. She couldn't help but notice the looks people gave seeing the baby's coloring. It was obvious he was an Uchiha. That is what Sasuke went through for all those years…

Getting dressed first, Sakura looked through the baby clothes brought down from the upstairs attic. Each set of baby clothes had the Uchiha fan carefully stitched into it. She wondered what it must have been like growing up with that pressure. Even from birth they were Uchiha members; Sasuke like those before him took that membership seriously.

"If you do get to stay… we're going to have to stop all that pressure. You can be and do whatever you want, and you will be loved!" She turned and looked at the bed. It made her smile to see Kouhei's tiny legs and arms happily kick with excitement.

Deciding on a simple blue jumper, Kouhei was dressed and the two walked down the stairs to find a hot meal already waiting. At the sink, Sasuke was working on cleaning the skillet and cleaning up. Sakura walked over towards him and looked over his shoulder.

"You need any help?" She asked holding on to Kouhei.

"I got it. Your breakfast is getting cold." He said turning his head to look at her. "You took care of things last night, it's only fair… but I hope you don't expect any culinary masterpiece…" He said taking his hands out of the dish water and wiping them off. "And for you, little guy."

Sasuke took Kouhei from her arms and picked up a bottle sitting on the counter. Sakura could only watch him as he interacted with his little nephew turned son. It broke her heart. Like everything in his life, he had risen to the challenge of preparing to raise a child and it would all end soon.

Together they sat down at the low table. Both were rather hungry that morning after not eating much the previous day. Sakura ate the last bite of her breakfast. She smiled noting that Sasuke was really a good cook as well. It may have looked like simple potatoes stir fried with eggs and meat, but it tasted delicious.

"What time are we…" She couldn't finish the question knowing that she just ruined the peaceful meal they were having.

Sasuke knew it was only a matter of time. Actually he was happy that she broached the subject, for he had no idea of how to tell her.

"We should be going soon…" He sighed. "I am going to get a bag together for him…" To this she could only nod. Sasuke was glad she didn't argue with him. Instead the pink haired woman simply opened her arms and took the baby. Turning he ran up to the bedroom.

It took him some time to gather the necessary things: blanket, diapers, bottles, formula, and clothes. It was surreal. And there was little he could do. In the back of his mind he was weighting the options that he had.

Looking at the clock he knew he had no time left. Kakashi and the ones in charge of Kouhei would be waiting. He didn't even want to think of how close those wanting to harm Kouhei would be at the moment. The sooner Kouhei was gone the sooner things could try to get back to normal for some that is.

"Let's get this over with." He sighed looking at his bedroom. Taking in the crib and how the room had changed in a matter of days, he wondered if this was ok.

* * *

The walk was a quiet one. Sasuke had allowed Sakura to hold a very talkative Kouhei in the sling as they walked. Out of no where her hand came and grabbed his. He didn't mind, in fact it felt good. It was reassuring in some ways that he was not alone.

Sakura stopped outside the Hokage's office building. It seemed different today. She had never noticed how authoritative the structure seemed. Normally when she was summoned there for hours of training, running errands, or what not, she had not noticed the towering and ominous feeling that she had today. Or maybe it was what she knew would happen inside these walls.

Sasuke noticed her hesitation and squeezed her hand. He didn't want to do this either, but there really was no choice.

They reached the main hallway leading to the office and came face to face with their former teacher.

"Yo" He said in a tone that was more serious then was the norm for the older ninja.

"Kakashi-sempai… isn't…"

The sad look on his face and the strong hand on her shoulder from Sasuke stopped her from continuing.

"I'm sorry. But I can promise I will make sure the little guy gets to the secure destination." Their mentor and teacher said trying to make them both feel better. He knew it didn't… nothing could.

"Will I know where that is?" Sasuke asked. "Or will I totally be left in the dark on this?"

"The answers we can give you will have to be given. But not out here. We've created a sealing jitsu inside the Hokage's office to protect the information from spies or others who do not need to know.

"Can I?"

"She's with me." Sasuke said not caring what Kakashi would say. Sakura was a part of this. The taller man simply nodded and allowed the two passage into the office.

Inside standing like statues were a group of seven fully masked Anbu nins. Sasuke felt a little on edge not knowing who these people were. They would be keeping Kouhei safe… how exactly could they do that?

"So, we're all here." The leader of the Konoha village said standing from her chair as the doors closed and Kakashi followed the two in.

"And now you can tell me who these people are and where exactly you think will be safe from the likes of the most powerful nins alive." Sasuke didn't waste time.

"As you can see I have personally selected some of our most trained nins to undertake this mission." Tsunade motioned to the group. Picking up a folder, she handed it to Sasuke. "I realize you are not going to willingly return Kouhei till your questions have been alleviated."

"And the answers I need are in here?" He asked looking at the outside of the folder.

"I have also given you the option of requesting and additional member to accompany the group to the safe area."

"Safe area?"

"That is the only thing we cannot tell you about."

"So I give him up and you take him away… and I never see him again? I never know if my enemies have taken an innocent life?"

"Once Kouhei is old enough…"

"You'll assess if he is a danger to the village? What then? What if he inherited all those skills from his father? Will you risk their lives and others to only kill him five years from now?" Sasuke's anger was something that everyone expected, but his words stung.

Sakura stepped forward and tried to calm him. She did not want him to suffer so much, but there was little she could do.

"I get to request another member to the team, correct?" A nod was given to his question. Sasuke looked around the room. First to the leader who had given him a second chance, then to those masked men in charge of protecting Kouhei, his former teacher and then to her. Sakura looked to be nearly in tears as Kouhei squirmed in the sling.

His dark eyes met with her green ones and the world seemed to stop.

"I want to go with him." His eyes tried to apologize to her. He knew this would break her heart… he was causing her pain again…

"Denied." Came a swift reply from the Hokage. Sakura was a bit relieved. She knew he wanted to go.

"WHY?" He roared turning to face the woman who was driving the knife deeper into his heart.

"You will not survive with your current limitations…"

"Then I die with my son." The silence in the room was deafening. The only sound in the room was a bad attempt to cover a sob. Sasuke could not look over at the source. He knew it was Sakura…

At the moment he did not have the heart to look at her.

"Also denied." Kakashi saw the boy tense. He moved quickly towards his handful of a student. Rubbing the Uchiha boy's head, much to his displeasure, the older man stepped in.

"You came back for a reason. To live a life here… with someone. You are throwing that away. Is that what you really want?" He asked in a quiet voice so the others could not hear.

Sasuke knew all this, but Kakashi's words made him flinch. Turning slowly he saw her in tears. She was trying to hold them back. But she was failing. Sasuke hated it when she cried.

Kakashi saw his moment and moved to take the baby out from Sasuke's arms. The older man did not get far when Sasuke turned to face Sakura.

Sakura was trying to control her tears. They continued to stream down without stopping since he had requested to go. She knew he wanted to. And she had not told him how she felt on the topic other then she was losing both. When he looked at her, turning to stop Kakashi from taking the baby in his arms she didn't know what happened.

Sakura ran up to him and threw her arms around him, mindful of the baby. Unashamed she cried into his shirt.

"Please don't go… don't…" She sobbed. The tears came harder as she felt Sasuke's arms trying to comfort her. "Please?"

Sasuke was torn in two directions. Resting his head on hers he let out his breath in a long sigh.

Sasuke turned to look at his mentor and nodded. His eyes were void of emotion as he broke away from Sakura and began to take off the sling. Looking down on the baby he forced a smile as Kouhei smiled up at him.

There was silence in the room as he hugged the boy, placed a quick kiss to Kouhei's forehead and handed him over to the one eyed ninja. Without saying another word he turned and walked towards the door.

Sakura looked back at the woman she saw as a mentor, almost pleading for answers.

"Can't you tell us anything?" Sasuke was at the door when she asked this and he hesitated for just a second to hear the answer. None came and he left the room, breaking the so called jitsu that kept the room sealed.

"Kouhei means a lot to him. It gave him a purpose after just going through the motions of life… and now… you can't do this. We can protect Kouhei here… or at least let us go with him."

Kouhei seeing Sasuke leave the room began to fuss. The tension in the room could agitate anyone to the point of tears. Kakashi did his best to try and soothe the baby in his arms, but to no avail.

Sakura walked up to him and took the baby.

"Hey now. Don't worry." She said rocking him in her arms. Doing so only caused the tears to begin again. "Everything will be fine. When this is all over, you will come home and we'll be… waiting." Sakura hugged the baby to her chest. Kissing the top of his head, she handed the baby back to Kakashi and followed after Sasuke out of the room.

* * *

_a/n: And just like that Sasuke has lost another in his life. Will this finally send him over the edge (again) or will Sakura be enough for him to continue on in Konoha? Fluff and action to follow soon!  
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_Remember to click that button and REVIEW!_


	10. Invitation to play

_A/N:_

_Well hello again! It's been about a month and I have been a busy little writer. I hope you are ready for a fluff filled chapter and then a little suspense! Not to worry for all you sticklers with the ratings here on , I didn't get too juicy. Sorry for those who like the smut. You will have to use your imagination! I know I do..._

_Anyway, as long as you do your part and remember to leave a comment, I don't see why this fic won't be done in a month or two! So let's get it going!_

* * *

Sakura arrived at the Uchiha house expecting to find Sasuke there sulking, packing a bag or killing something. However, he was no where to be seen. Walking back into the kitchen she looked around. The house was quiet. Even though she had been taking care of the place in his absence, she had never really felt the cold and loneliness seeping off the walls like this.

Walking out to the garden area, she tried to figure out that to do next. When he did come home, what could she say?

'Thank you for not following after the last bit of family you have.'

'You didn't ruin my life, thanks. Sorry about ruining yours to a bit. It'll be ok!'

'It wasn't yours to begin with, don't worry about it.'

None of them would be enough. Nothing she could think of would be enough. She had asked him late last night to take her with him if he needed to go. But he had surprised her.

"_You have a life here. You've created a great job through years of hard work. How could I ask you to give that up?"_

She had said it would be worth it.

"_What about your family here? Your friends? You have too much here for me to expect you to give it all up."_

Again she had protested. But his eyes were serious.

"_I've had my family taken away… I've lived my life without them. I've never allowed myself the chance to get friends…real friends… so I know what it is like to not have them there. Living for one thing is not a way to live. I found that out the hard way, remember? You can't tell me that you will not miss anyone not even for a moment when you are with me… I will not be the thing that came between you and your life here. I won't be that person. If I leave, you will hate me… but at least I won't see you trying to live everyday without regretting your decision to come with me..."_

She was silenced by his words. A part of her wanted to shout at him that he was enough. However, they both knew that she would, eventually down the road, begin to miss things and people from her life here. Not to mention no one knew what kind of life was ahead for them with little Kouhei on the run.

He was worth it though. Being with him was worth any pain. She felt a little like she was betraying some unwritten code by saying that, but it was true. Since he had left her she had often thought of what she would do if he returned. More often than not she would follow him wherever in a heart beat.

Sakura could not hold back a sigh. Looking at the small stone garden she tried to enjoy the beauty of the area. But it was lost.

Things would be so much easier if they could keep the baby and stay in Konoha. She could have her job, her friends, him, and everything would be fine.

Shaking her head, she decided to return to the house and make some food. Whenever Sasuke would return he would be hungry. And come to think of it, she too was a bit hungry.

Looking at the clock she was surprised at the time. It was nearly 6pm. They had been summoned to deliver Kouhei around noon. Worry began to set in. What was Sasuke doing? Would he leave without even saying goodbye?

* * *

Sasuke wandered around the village for a time wondering what to do. He knew he should just suck this up and go home. Sakura was there… he still had a future. Maybe if he had not latched onto Kouhei so quickly… In realty he only had the tike for half a week and now it was like cutting off his arm leaving the boy to an unknown fate.

Getting angry with himself he stopped and found the closest pole, building- hard object. And he began to hit his head on it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Came a voice he didn't really want to hear at the moment. Looking up Sasuke came face to face with Naruto.

Neither spoke for a moment. Both men were looking at the other. Sasuke's head was hurting, and Naruto looked at him with a strange expression on his face.

"I was…" Sasuke began but stopped. It was pointless to explain. "Nevermind."

"So! Where is my nephew?" The eager ninja asked as Sasuke began to walk away. "Hey! I said HEY! I am talking to you!"

This continued for several blocks till Sasuke stopped suddenly. Naruto nearly slammed into his back, but was able to stop just barely.

"Kouhei is gone."

"What are you talking about? Sakura has him right now, right?"

"Listen, I don't have time for this. They took him back, ok? He wasn't my son to begin with and now he never really will be and that makes you not an uncle. Ok?" Sasuke didn't want to take this anymore. Gathering his power, he pushed himself off the ground and high above the city streets. Jumping from roof to roof was a much better way to relieve stress and get home faster anyway.

* * *

Arriving at his house he was a bit surprised to see the lights on and Sakura in the kitchen.

Entering the room, he stood there silent wondering if today was all a bad dream or something. But looking around there was no sight of little Kouhei, and Sakura seemed depressed herself.

"Sasuke, you're home." She turned noticing his presence behind her. He stood there not moving, just staring at her.

"I made some dinner… if you want it." Sakura was about to turn back to the stove to stir the fried rice when she noticed a glimmer in his eyes. One could easily miss it with the long bangs covering his eyes, but she saw it as clear as day.

Quickly turning to turn off the burner, she was about to rush to his side when she saw his form retreating out of the kitchen dinning rooms and towards the stairs.

Making sure nothing was left to burn, she followed him.

Finding him in the bathroom was not hard. The water was running and he was splashing water over his face. It hurt her a little to think he was not ready to cry in front of her, but she let it slide. He had been alone for so long, and had never really had anyone to hold him while he cried… not as a teen, not during all those years away.

She came into the room and stood behind him. Taking a gentle hold on his hand, she turned him to face her. Her free hand went up to his face, which was wet with a mix of tears and water from the faucet.

"Sasuke…" She said in a voice that not only tried to comfort him, but also convey her pain as well.

He took a step forward and closed the distance between them. Sakura was shocked when his lips found hers, but she didn't stop him. She could never push him away.

His warm breath wafted on her face and neck as the kiss ended and he rested his head on her shoulder. Sakura instantly laced her fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp. They stayed like that for a time, neither speaking, but both in their own way comforting the other.

As much as she would miss the little baby, the man before her was more important. She only hoped he felt the same.

After a few minutes she finally noticed his hands running up and down her back and his lips placing light kisses on her neck. She was not in control as her body sighed contently at the contact. It felt so good… so right.

Feeling the soft contact of her lips on his head, Sasuke lifted it slowly allowing her access to his lips. She greedily drank from them, causing them both to inhale sharply. The desire was building. He needed her. His body had been reacting to her presence the minute she stood behind him.

In his mind he was at odds with himself. She was there, she seemed willing, but it was all wrong. And yet he could not stop.

Sakura's eyes went wide as she felt him take hold of her hip and press himself closer. Trying not to break the kiss she gasped in pure pleasure of his touch, his body pressed to hers. One of his hands had roamed nearer and nearer to her chest. And she did not mind in the least. It was his touch that urged her to do more.

If Sakura was surprised at the boldness of her next move, Sasuke was even more shocked as she lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist as if inviting him to take it further.

Somehow the couple made it out of the bathroom without breaking the intimate kisses and caresses. Sasuke had lifted her other leg up and she was now wrapped around him, holding him tightly. Her hands holding his head close as to never break the kisses.

She felt a rush as he laid her down on the bed. And his hands pulled at the fabric covering her chest.

She giggled a bit as he had trouble unfastening the buttons on the side and even more trouble with her bra.

He didn't seem to appreciate her laughter, and assaulted her chest causing the giggles to be replaced by gasps of pleasure.

All the while Sasuke continued to slowly, without her noticing disrobe his eager and willing partner. His hands stopped and lingered on her stomach for a time. His eyes searched for hers, as if he wanted to say something or convey how he felt.

He was upset about Kouhei… he had warmed up to the idea of being a father… but his desire at that moment was that his son… would be their son.

Sakura was lying exposed on her back as he kissed and caressed her chest. His hands were doing wonderful things as they worked down her torso, and then they stopped.

She opened her eyes to see him look up at hers. The expression on his face was hard to read, but she had a good idea of what he was thinking… and it sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.

"Sakura…"

"I love you." She replied hoping that would answer any and all of his doubts or questions. To add to her point she began undressing him.

* * *

The morning to the outside world came like so many others… however that morning was different for both Sakura and Sasuke.

Sasuke was awake. He had woken up early as normal, but had not moved for fear of waking his partner. She seemed tired and was still sleeping peacefully. Last night had meant so much to him. He had hoped it was a sign that she would not leave him. As much as he knew how she felt about him, how she always felt, there was still a bit of fear in the back of his mind.

She had allowed him this sense of peace and love that he had never really expected to ever have in his life. He could not leave her now or ever again. Maybe in the end Kouhei would be given back to them, but for the moment, he was hesitant to do anything to ruin this…

* * *

Sakura felt sore. Well, not really sore, but different. Definitely different. She had finally been with the man she loved since she first laid eyes on him. The Inner Sakura, who had indeed matured over the years, was still doing somersaults and flips of joy. It could not be helped.

Her body felt satisfied and warm. And even if she walked a little funny today, last night had been worth it… and then some.

Snuggling her head into her Sasuke pillow- his chest did make a nice pillow- she sighed contently.

"Sakura… I love you." She heard a soft voice whisper. Her heart thudded as his lips kissed her forehead.

Did he just say what I thought he said? Her mind screamed.

Opening her eyes she was met with a smile from the stoic man. Suddenly he rolled them both so she was below him. His hands entwined with hers as he pinned them above her head. His legs straddled her hips giving him a better view of the woman below him.

"Sakura… I didn't… last night… I…"

Sakura smiled up at the man above her. He was trying to ask, in his not so good way if she regretted last night and that if he hurt her… the only way he could hurt her is if he left again… didn't he know that by now?

"I love you." She simply said again. It felt good to say it. "I love you Uchiha Sasuke."

His lips were on hers in seconds. And it looked as if they were going to have a repeat of last night's activities when he stopped suddenly.

"Sasuke?" She was a bit confused. His hand went to cup her lips and keep her quiet. Rolling off of her and grabbing his shorts, he moved stealth-fully to the window. His back was to the wall and he carefully peaked out, as if expecting an attack.

Sakura pulled the bed sheets up to her chest and rolled off the bed silently.

After a minute or two Sasuke seemed to calm.

"I felt a powerful chakara... one that I've felt before..."

"I don't feel anything... are you sure?" Sakura asked walking up behind him, the cover still held tight to her frame.

"They have a way to cover their presence so that not many can detect it... but its gone now. I don't think they actually entered the city... but they seemed to want to get my attention." He turned back to Sakura seeing that the threat was gone.

The disheveled hair and marks on her neck caused Sasuke to blush... or as much of a blush as he was able to do. It didn't help him that she was clinging to a nearly see through sheet.

Sakura caught his eyes on her neck where she knew there would be marks. Seeing him blush, she too couldn't help but let one flush her face as well.

The couple shared a smile before they both made their way back towards the bed and their discarded clothing.

"Sasuke... if they wanted your attention... does that mean?" Sakura could not say it. She didn't want to even think that little Kouhei might be captured.

"Something doesn't feel right." Sasuke said as he finished dressing. Walking closer to Sakura, he gave her a quick kiss on the head. "You wait here, I am going to the roof and have a look."

Before she could say anything, Sasuke jumped out the window and was up on the roof. Knowing that someone was out there wanting his attention was making him uneasy. There definitely was someone there and they projected their chakara enough to get him to notice. Had anyone else found it too? Or was it a message only for him?

From the roof of the Uchiha complex, he could see the tree line outside the bustling city of Konoha. Looking as far as his well trained eyes could, Sasuke searched for any confirmation it was not just his imagination that sensed that power.

His heart stopped when he saw a piece of fabric flapping in the breeze. Attached to the top of a tall bamboo tree was a blue cloth with a familiar symbol... the Uchiha fan.

"Damn it!" He cursed knowing that they had Kouhei and they were not wanting to play. This was all business... the business of destroying the Uchiha clan. And he was the guest of honor.

* * *

_A/n: And the shit has hit the fan._

_Review with any kind of comment, suggestion, randomness and bribe me to write faster!_


	11. My Battle

_A/N:　Well I have to say that the reviews made me extra motivated to get this puppy done! Good Job Reviewers! By all means please keep them coming._

_So now we come to the part in the story that a decision will be made… will it lead for a happy outcome for our couple or will all their dreams crumble before their eyes? You will just have to wait and see!_

_Before we go on I need to say where if anywhere this plays into the manga. I have to admit I did get a bit burned out of the manga and stopped reading it for a long time. I am in the process of catching up… so try to not get overly confused on trying to place it anywhere specific in the current manga storyline. I kind of took the right after Itachi was killed timeline and changed it so it would have a nice ending (according to my plot bunnies)._

_That being said- enjoy!_

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* * *

  
_

"You can't go by yourself!" Sakura was in hysterics. Tears ran down her face as she watched him dress in a dark outfit. Shiriken, other small blades and ninja apparel were silently put in place as he readied himself.

He had made these enemies… he had left them run wild out there while he tried to sort out his life inside the walls of Konoha, granted after the battle with his brother he could hardly put up a protest of being taken back into the city… but none the less they were back. And he was not about to let them get away with taking Kouhei. Not another family member was going to die because he was too weak to stop it.

"Let me come with you! Wait and we can get Naruto and the others to help… please… just don't go alone." She threw herself on him stopping him from putting on his Uchiha fan insignia on his arm to complete the ensemble.

Sasuke stopped and wrapped his arms around the woman he was now strong enough to say he loved. He knew he was hurting her by going… but he knew that it would be too much for her to handle… in reality it was probably too much for even him to handle… then an idea came to him.

"I need you to do something for me…" He said kissing her head.

"Anything." She whispered.

"Go to the Hokage and ask her to lift the seal. I will need all of my strength… even if she can only lift the one that binds me to Konoha… it will help. After that…"

"I will bring help." She said her eyes were alive with passion. She was not going to let him die… not after last night.

Sasuke cupped her face. Letting his thumbs gently caress her smooth skin. It was an odd feeling- his rough and even callused hands against her soft and silk-like skin. They were opposites in so many ways… And yet they worked perfectly together.

She calmed him, made his nightmares go away; she was everything he wanted in a partner, a wife. Sakura had proven she was loyal, devoted, caring…And he knew that she loved him for who he was- mistakes and crazy habits to boot. He just hoped he could give her as much as she gave him. If he came back he would send the rest of his life trying to make up for being so stupid.

"I will come back… and when I do… will you live with me, here?" He asked knowing that he had to leave soon. His acquaintances would not wait long with a crying baby on their hands.

"That's the best proposal you can do?" She smiled up at him.

He claimed her lips then in a show of pure lust and then it softened to show his true feelings for her.

"Better?" He asked seeing her lips puffy and her face flushed.

"Ask me again when you get home. But I want it to be more romantic… maybe down on one knee or something…"

"I'll see what I can do." He whispered as he took her arms and put them at her sides.

"And you have to come back… how can we start a family if you're not here?" She said as she saw him turn away to leave.

"Sakura, you can't seem to get rid of me. You should know that I always find my way back to you."

And with that he was gone.

Sakura's leg went weak and she fell to her knees not knowing what to feel… what to do… it was like the world was spinning around and around so fast. She felt dizzy. Looking at her hands she noticed a small piece of fabric held in her clenched fingers. Looking confused she wondered what it was… Sasuke must have put it in her hand. She was so out of it, she didn't notice.

The world came crashing to a halt when she looked at the fabric. It was an Uchiha fan emblem that had something tucked inside a tiny pocket on the reverse side. Looking inside she found a gold chain with a tiny fan charm on it. The charm looked old so she knew it must have been his mother's or some family heirloom. This made her cry harder for but a moment. He loved her… this much.

Putting it on, she snapped back to reality. The world stopped spinning and she knew what she had to do.

Throwing on the rest of her clothes and grabbing some gear herself, she was out the door and rushing towards the Hokage's office.

* * *

Sasuke stood looking at the gates to the city of Konoha. He knew that leaving that gate would cause pain… lots of pain.

Would he be coming back? How could he possibly fight the combined powers of his old group and the Akatsuki?

"Well, no better time than the present to get things started." He said as he made the jump that could cost him his life.

He felt the sting as he landed on the other side of the gates. It was just like she said 'a tap' on his energy that would slowly kill him by draining his power. He just hoped that he had enough power to get Kouhei away from their enemies before any of that happened...

Pushing the pain out of his mind, he took off into the trees. He could see their tracks… they either were sloppy or they really wanted him to show up. More likely the latter, but could he use that to his advantage... his mind was a jumble of plans that might give him a fraction of an advantage.

Soon he came across a sickening sight. The Anbu nins… most of them were dead. Blood covered the ground like a carpet of crimson. A few of the bodies were slightly moving, showing some form of life; a rustle in the shrubs caught his attention.

A familiar patch of grayish silver hair could be seen moving. Reaching the ground, Sasuke was kneeling beside his old teacher in seconds, helping the extremely hurt ninja out of the bush.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi weakly spoke not believing what he saw. His uniform was torn and blood was soaking it through. Looks of worry were plastered on both of their faces.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked applying pressure to the major wounds on Kakashi's chest. He didn't have much time, and yet he could not just leave the man who had helped him so many times before bleed to death.

"Don't worry about me…" Kakashi lightly swatted away Sasuke's hands. "They took Kouhei. They were fast and surprised us with a special technique to project their chakras in a whole other direction… I'm sorry…I should have known they were coming."

Sasuke helped prop the older nin against a nearby tree. Handing him a roll of bandages from a med kit, he looked at his teacher. The pain in both their eyes was evident.

"You didn't get the Hokage to undo the jitsu keeping you in the city?" Surprise was in his voice, even in his weakened state, Kakashi was good.

"Didn't have time…" Sasuke said shrugging trying to keep the pain out of his mind. "I still don't. I'll get him back though."

"Wait." Kakashi said stopping his former pupil. Closing his uncovered eye, the older ninja moved his hands in a jitsu Sasuke had never seen before. Pressing a hand to Sasuke's chest, Kakashi hissed in pain.

"What?" Sasuke noticed the pain decrease a bit. Not fully gone, but yet better than before, Sasuke looked at his teacher in awe.

"That should help you a bit… now go…"

"You… Kakashi… thanks." He said standing up.

"Just make sure you get your sorry butt back to her, ok?" Sasuke knew who he was talking about. His teacher had been watching the pair for a long time- he couldn't help but suspect that his teacher had always known how they felt for each other.

"Don't worry. I will try my best."

Without looking back, Sasuke took once again to the trees and followed the trail left for him marked in blood of the dead Anbu. He didn't know how his former teacher survived and so many of the Konoha nins didn't… but his jitsu, or whatever he did had helped.

He could sense them close… he was gaining on them. Then again that is what they must have wanted. He needed to have a clear head about this. In a one on one fight he had a good chance even when limited, but one against them all… then the Uchiha clan really would die that night.

* * *

Sakura barged into the Hokage's office not caring about rules and the nins following her telling her to stop.

"You've got to help him!" She implored as she threw the doors opened and got the older woman's attention. "This is partly your responsibility!"

"Sakura?" Tsunade's eyebrow went up in a sign of confusion.

"Take off the jitsu that keeps him in Konoha… he needs as much power as he can right now…"

"Sakura, calm down and explain."

"Kouhei was taken… Sasuke went to get him, but your jitsu… it's going to kill him… please." Sakura welled up in tears. "Please… he needs help."

The fifth hokage looked over a few reports on her desk. "They have not reported back yet, which is unusual. They should have been to check point one by now…"

"They have Kouhei… the jumper we put him in this morning was hanging on a tree outside the village… Sasuke felt their chakras…" Sakura's arms were trying to emphasize the urgency of the situation.

The silence in the room only added to the pressure on Sakura. She had to get the Hokage's help… Saskue and Kouhei depended on it.

"Do this for me… please. I've never asked for any personal favors, but just this once believe me…"

"Go get Naruto and a few others. I will work on the location jitsu… but I can't repeal the power limiter… We can only hope that help can get to them before that boyfriend of yours decides to pick a fight."

Sakura's heart thudded with relief. She couldn't help herself, running up to her mentor, she hugged her.

"Thank you." Sakura sighed. "I'll find Naruto and the others! Thank you!"

And just like that Sakura was out the door on her mission.

The blond haired woman sighed as well. This was a big thing… she was going back on a sentence, a punishment for a crime. No matter how just it seemed, as a leader, how could she play favorites like this?

It was a sticky situation she had gotten herself into… the Uchiha clan was a handful… it always had been and it seemed that it always would be. However, with Sakura in there, she could tell the future would be a lot better.

* * *

The tree tops whizzed by as he pushed the pace faster and faster. If he had the extra strength he would be going even faster, yet the strain on his body was definitely holding him back.

Mind over matter, he kept telling himself. He could do this. There would be so many happy moments after this… a fresh, total, and happy beginning for the rest of his life with her. And that is why he had to survive.

Suppressing his chakra as much as possible- the same way they did, he hoped to pick off a few of the stragglers and take them out.

Approaching the group he was thankful they were still on the move. He could tell for several reasons- the most enraging was the cries of little Kouhei. The poor little kid must be terrified… and that was unacceptable.

There were only maybe only five or six members of both groups left. The death of his brother had brought about a massive turn in both the Akatsuki and Sasuke's old group the Hawks. Over the years after Orochimaru had reared his ugly face the groups and Konoha nins have been fighting steadily. This caused the numbers of at least the Akatsuki to dwindle to maybe three or four. Then add the three members of his old group… each and every one of them must feel betrayed and angry. He knew this was going to be a hard fight.

In the back of his mind he hoped the mysterious Madara figure would not show up… of all his enemies, it was that man who could single-handedly end it all. He was still not sure what the connection was with him and the Uchiha clan, or why he was such a powerful enemy, but he knew whatever it was it could not be good.

Luck as would have it was on his side for the moment. The group was continuing on their trek to some unknown location- hopefully not part of a trap- and they were spread out, or so it seemed from the chakra levels.

Sasuke took the risk and silently approached.

Watching the rhythm of their landings on the trees, he was able to grab the first of the group.

The hate filled red eyes of the woman who once harbored a deep lust for him stopped him in his tracks. Karin, she had not changed much in the months since he had left. She was still the athletic woman who had joined in his quest. Over the years he really didn't know how to react to this particular member of the group. Her affections were certainly based in lust… lust for power, and just plain old lust.

He had not wanted much to do with her on a personal level- she was a competent fighter and an expert at chakra searching. She was… useful.

Which surprised him on some levels that she let him catch up to her… she had to have expected him… then again maybe that was what she wanted.

Before he could think it over, her arm came quickly up and caught him off guard a little.

Countering he knew he had to make this fast, or else the others would hear. His Sharingan activated and he tried his best to hold back a cry of pain as he fought against the power limiter to use the Uchiha bloodline technique. It was useless though and his loud growl of pain escaped his lips.

A smirk was painted on her face as she watched him in pain.

"You left us… you left me!" She took out a weapon and came running at him. "And for what?" The attack was dodged. Sasuke had somehow managed to pull out a kunai and blocked the attack. She was a skilled fighter- but she never could beat him in hand to hand combat.

"You're gonna die here and then I am going to kill her as well… for taking you away!"

Sasuke became enraged at the thought of them even coming near Sakura. And that is what fueled him to attack his former comrade with such ferocity that she was thrown unconscious on the ground with a few direct hits.

He looked at her limp body where it fell. Searching his soul for some form of remorse, he found none. Instead he found the will power to somehow keep on moving. He panted as he tried to assess his power limits… things looked bad.

Jumping back into the trees he noticed that the group had stopped. They now took positions around in a clearing. They were waiting for him and they knew he was there.

Kouhei continued to cry and scream as the tall blue figure held him. His brother's former partner, Kisame held on to Kouhei as if he was some doll. It was almost as if he was struggling on what to do with the boy. He was after all deeply loyal to his late partner… and this was his son after all.

"Children are a nuisance." Sasuke heard one of the group say.

"Let's just kill the thing and be rid of another Uchiha. The only good one is dead anyway." Another commented.

Sasuke stayed silent trying to figure the best way to go about things… Maybe he could rush Kisame and get Kouhei… then make a run for it and hope that help would be coming.

Suddenly he felt a chakra from behind. He was surprised that he was able to move so swiftly given his current state; however it was not fast enough and soon he found himself face first on the ground in the clearing…. Surrounded.

* * *

_A/n: Damn… that is all I am going to put in that chapter. Fight scenes are hard to write… but I shall strive for a good one in the next chapter._

_So we have Sasuke in a tough spot. Will the others get to him in time or is our angsty nin a goner?_

_Review to find out!_


	12. Ending the Cycle

_a/n: Ladies and Gentlemen, SasuSaku fic readers of all nations and squee levels, are you ready to ruuuuummmmbbbbllllllllleeee?_

_'cause I am and so here we go!_

* * *

Sasuke spit out some blood staining the ground with the first of what would be many to come. His opportunity of coming in on his own time had been shattered by an unknown force.

"Well, look what we have here." A menacing voice sounded from behind him. "Uncle Sasuke came to play."

The killing intent in all of their chakras came all around him and he had to fight to take a breath. Getting to his knees, he pushed up and was on his feet again hissing in pain.

"Oh, you're in pain? See what happens once you become a collared dog of Konoha…" The same voice called out to him. Sasuke turned and found no one there to claim the voice.

"You could have avoided all this pain. We would never have tried to limit your power or once again try to kill off your bloodline."

"What the hell are you talking about? Come out here now!" Sasuke snarled in a deep and threatening voice.

"Such big talk for one who can hardly activate the Sharingan. Even your brother's spawn can do that."

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded as he looked around him. The group had come closer standing in a circle around him ready to strike at any moment… but they waited. Someone was controlling them… and then it hit him.

"Madara…"

"Correct. My, you aren't so dumb now are you?" The voice taunted and then appeared out of nothing. The dark figure wore a dark cloak covering this face and body.

"Just who the hell are you? I was warned about you…"

"Ah, your brother's famous last words… I was there, I know what he told you… too bad you didn't get to hear the rest of his story… or else he would have told you who I was." Sasuke's eyes shot daggers at the man. "It's been eating away at you hasn't it? The apology from your brother, how he let you kill him in the end, and then you having to take in his child? Too bad it was only to have Konoha once again attempt to exterminate us."

"Us? Exterminate? Just what the hell are you getting after?" Sasuke was getting mad… however the brief break from running or fighting might help him in the end, right?

"My dear nephew you were never the last of the Uchiha clan… how could you be when I am still breathing?"

"You can't be an Uchiha!" Sasuke felt sick. How was this possible?

The hooded man took off the cloak and Sasuke was face to face with the Sharingan, it was in a strange and powerful looking form, but the Uchiha bloodline technique none the less.

"Oh, it's a long story. One that sadly you will not be able to hear. As much as I hate killing off more of my clan, you seem to have been brainwashed again by that dirty city. You will side with them, and not your own blood. Do you even know what they wanted to do to you and your little nephew?"

"Shut up!"

"They decided they could control you… with the help from your pink haired sweetheart. But that one… was too much of a gamble. So they were off to destroy him. Like they would have done with you."

"I said shut up!" Sasuke's anger hit a new limit and he could feel the anger and power pulsing through his veins. That was pretty much the only sensation he could feel at the moment, the pain must have been taken over by the anger.

"Now, now… you always did get over angry about things. Hopefully your little nephew will grow up to inherit that same angry spirit."

"Kouhei is not going to be like that! That's not way to live! I won't let you do that to him!" Sasuke snarled.

"I am sorry to say that you won't have much of a say once that jitsu of yours kills you and I tell him a dog of Konoha killed his parents. He will be like putty in my hands… much like his uncle was for others."

Sasuke was pushed over the edge. He was not about to let anyone else make the same mistakes he did. Kouhei would not be living a life of hatred. No matter how torn he was with the information about Konoha and his family in the past, he knew that he could change the future. They could change it for the better.

"This ends now my dear Sasuke." Madara smirked.

"You're damn right it does." Sasuke said as he launched himself at the man who was taunting him.

* * *

If there was one thing that Sakura was happy about it was predictability. The only person that could help Sasuke now was so predictable that she knew exactly where to look for him. The ramen shop was exactly where the young man was that day.

Rushing into the shop she grabbed her teammate and friend's arm. There was a protest of course, due mostly to the fact that he had a steaming bowl of ramen waiting for him on the counter.

"Sakura?" He called in a questioning voice. She still had him by the arm, and now they were outside of the restaurant.

His face went serious as he saw the frantic look on her face.

"I need your help."

"What's wrong Sakura?" Naruto asked looking worried. Sakura tried to calm down her breathing so she could speak. Huffing and heaving from running to collect Shikamaru and a few others she had not stopped to catch her breath yet.

"It's Sasuke… Kouhei was taken and Sasuke went after them… he's…. he's… gonna die. Naruto… please…" Tears stung her tried eyes.

"It's ok. I'll get my stuff and then we'll go after him." Naruto gave her a quick reassuring hug. "I won't let him die on you."

And with that Naruto took to the sky to return home and get his gear.

Within the span of thirty minutes after leaving the Hokage's office, Sakura had assembled the remaining Rookie 7 and Team Gai. They were all ready to go and geared up for what could possibly be one of their biggest battles.

Sakura nearly began to cry out of happiness that they all had come. She didn't know if they had come to help Sasuke or because of her. It really didn't matter in the end, they were here. They knew the risks, and once again they were going to help.

"Let's go and get those Uchihas back." Shikamaru sighed not wanting the others to know that for once he was more than willing to get up off his lazy butt. He wanted to not only get rid of the remnants of these evil groups, but to get things back on track…

"And this time once Sasuke's ass is back, you chain him up for good!" Naruto smiled giving Sakura a wink. He knew that this time Sasuke was not leaving the village by choice, but still… how many times could one person cause so much trouble?

With a nod they all took off through the gates and into the trees.

'Hang on Sasuke… Kouhei… We're coming.'

* * *

Taking the chance Sasuke jumped up and took a swing at the ring leader. Madara, whoever he really was would not leave this forest alive… Kunai met with kunai as the two fought.

"Is that all you have?" Madara continued to taunt him.

The two Uchiha members were up in the trees matching each others attacks. Power swirled around each as they attacked, blocked and dodged the abundance of jitsu and physical attacks.

Sasuke took some comfort in the knowledge that for the moment it was a one-on-one fight. The others seemed to want to help, but stayed at bay. They were waiting for their chance to get in on the fight.

"Shut that damn kid up!" Sasuke heard someone yell at the blue skinned man.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the dark cloaked members approach the crying baby. It was this distraction that Madra took advantage of and sent Sasuke falling from the tree tops.

Kisame looked confused. But he didn't seem to stop the encroaching figure. In fact he seemed relieved to hand over the baby to another team member.

Sasuke knew what that meant. His brother's old partner was the only one he could even begin to feel a little at ease with holding Kouhei… if you could even call it at ease… but of all of them, he would at least not harm the baby.

Looking from his place on the ground the half black and half white creature of the Akataski was the one about to take Kouhei out of Kisame's hands. Zetsu… that man was unstable… he would not allow him to touch his son…

Closing his eyes, he summoned every ounce of energy he had… he could feel the limiter. It felt as if there was a weight holding back the power he knew he had. An invisible brick attached to a chained ball of chakra inside his body. He could get to it… he was an Uchiha. He would break through that jitsu… he had to.

Pulling his feet up underneath himself, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The Sharingan activated and came alive with anger as Zetsu grabbed Kouhei and held the baby by his little leg.

A roar of anger caught everyone's attention as Sasuke pushed off and launched himself at Zetsu.

Zetsu froze with the unexpected attack. He felt a swirl of energy rush up to him and take the baby out of his hands. Before he could so much as react, a swift kick to the back of his head sent him face first into the dirt.

"Don't touch my son!" Sasuke hissed as a dark energy began to surround him. He had never felt this way before. Even with the curse from Orochimaru, when it took control over him, the feeling… the surge of power was different. This time, he felt more in control.

Holding Kouhei tightly to his chest, he took off again. This time he launched a massive string of attacks on the puppet master; swiftly destroying the puppet with a shattering blow.

Turning he found himself face to face with Jugo. The unstable man seemed to be looking perplexed about something. It was an eerie feeling. He did not wait for the man to decide on what personality he would show.

The two began throwing hit after hit at each other, it was becoming a hopeless fight as the others decided on joining. Konan, the other woman of the group landed a solid kick to his back, sending him to his knees.

Blood was flowing from open wounds and his uniform was severely ripped by kunai cuts.　Yet in his arm Kouhei was safe. Sasuke shielded the tiny baby as the others pounded his back, taunting him.

Drawing inward as much as possible, Sasuke drew in his power and then released it as he jumped up. His opponents were knocked on their backs due to the force of the power he pushed out.

A chuckle from above could be heard. He knew it was Madara. This battle was far from over and he had already used up a lot of his power.

"I give you credit. You would have made a proud Uchiha. But I tire of this… and I sense your Konoha Masters are coming to take you back… it will never happen."

Madara instantly appeared before Sasuke and grabbed Kouhei out of his arms. Throwing the baby against the tree Sasuke felt his world shatter…

The crying was instantly stopped as the baby's body limply rolled down the trunk that it hit.

Sasuke's eyes were frozen on the body of the baby he had been trying to protect… something snapped inside. Turning slowly to face Madara, Sasuke could feel his body going white with rage.

Hozuki, Jugo, Konan, Sasori, Kisame and Zetsu were all up and closing in on him. Supposedly they had forgotten the one at a time plan and now it seemed to be a bloody free for all on him.

It didn't matter. He was too upset… to angry… furious… to care. The world had stopped the moment he saw Kouhei's little body hit the tree.

With a roar, the battle began.

* * *

The Konoha group was making good time. However, Sakura knew the needed to go faster.

"Guys! Look!" Naruto's voice stopped the group as they all converged on the ramen loving boy's position.

"Is she dead?" Ino asked as they saw the body of the only female member of Sasuke's old group the Hawks.

Sakura knelt down and quickly inspected her. Nodding, she stood up.

"She's been dead maybe an hour…" Sakura said as placed a handkerchief over their enemy's face. The silence of the forest was shattered with a loud scream of rage that echoed through the forest. The birds went flying from the trees and any animal that was still anywhere near them run for their lives.

"We're on the right trail then." Naruto said as he stood up and jumped back into the trees. "Sounds like things aren't going so well… that means we gotta go now."

Everyone followed suit and soon all of them were back on their way.

* * *

He lost it. That was the only way to explain the events that were happening. This rage was different than what he had felt before, but he didn't have time to think about it too much. His enemies were on him in seconds.

The attacks didn't hurt anymore. It was like he had separated from his body because he could hardly say he was in control anymore.

His arms reached out and snapped bones of his enemies like they were mere twigs. Special techniques that he had never seen, but strangely felt familiar came to him and he used them mercilessly on his opponents.

Like lightening, he turned feeling a change in the air. Seeing the huge blade Samehada coming at him, he reached out and grabbed the blade. With his free hand his fingers moved so fast it was hard to see the jitsu he called on to break the blade in half. Kisame was sent flying back into a tree stunned at the immense power.

"You can't possibly keep this up for long… your rage is eating at your remaining chakra. You are killing yourself." Madara smiled seeing Sasuke pant after the last attack on Kisame.

For a time the mysterious Uchiha had been worried about underestimating the boy… no the man before him. Sasuke could no longer be considered a boy. However, he could tell that no one, not even the one in front of him could survive.

"I don't care! We end the cycle of hate now… if that means no more Uchiha… then so be it!" Sasuke said finally letting his rage take full control. Madara needed to be stopped or else Konoha would continue to be threatened… she would be threatened… that was not acceptable.

As he launched himself onto the only man who stood in his way, there was only one thought in his mind…. Sakura.

Nothing else mattered. He had lived for revenge, he had lived with eyes clouded to the world on how it could have and should have been… not anymore.

Crouching down, he used his legs to propel his body up into the trees where Midara was still laughing at him. Once he was at the same level, both men didn't hold back. Arms, legs and jitsus were flying.

Sparks of pure energy seemed to reverberate off of them as each landed hit after hit.

Their bodies looked to be no more than lines at times as they went back and forth. The world seemed to stop to both of them as they continued a dance that would only lead to death for one or both of them.

"This is our chance!" Sasori said trying to rally his teammates and temporary partners. They had found Sasuke to have more power than they had expected. But with him too occupied with Midara, his back was wide open.

With a nod from several of them, they leapt into the air as well. Kunai and weapons in hand they intended to strike swiftly however it was not to be.

Out of the tree tops came the group of young Konoha nins.

"Not so fast!" Naruto roared as they jumped straight into the battle.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sasuke had noticed his friends arrive, but he was too busy to smile or even feel relieved. His battle still continued.

Sakura searched the area for Sasuke. She was scared with the state she saw him in. He was bloody and tired… and he was once again glowing with a strange aura that she hoped to never see again. Although it was different than the cursed marks, it was still frightening to truly think on how strong this man really was…

At least he was alive. She was a bit relieved; however her mind told her to find the other boy that had disrupted her life. Kouhei… he was not crying or making noise… this could mean any number of things…

Scanning the area again, her eyes and heart were not ready to see what she was about to see.

Near a big tree laid the tiny baby that had once been so lively. Just days before he had been crying so loud that neither of them got any sleep… but now he was a completely different baby.

Running to his side, Sakura felt afraid to touch the baby. Ino came up behind her and tried to offer her silent support. At the moment, the Konoha team had more than enough members to fight the already weakened remnants of the Hawks and Akasaki.

"Is he?" Sakura snapped out of her haze and mentally kicked herself. She was a medical nin.

Bending over the small baby, she began to cry.

"Sakura?"

"He's breathing… but just barely." She said carefully holding his neck and turning the baby on his back.

"We need to get him back to Konoha then." Ino said standing up. As she did so, a swift kick to the chest sent the blond woman backwards without warning.

"Sorry dears, you are not going anywhere, especially with that brat." Konan smiled evilly as she looked down on Sakura who was still holding Kouhei's neck gently.

"And who is going to stop us?" Sakura snarled as she let her hands fall to her sides.

"Oh, there's no way you could beat me…"

"We'll have to see about that!" She replied as she released several kunai at her opponent. She would have to take care of this first, she only hoped Kouhei could hold on.

* * *

"Why don't you just die?" Sasuke hissed as he connected another attack to this opponent. It gave him hope to see that he was also weakening. They had both been using quite a lot of chakra with their attacks. Somehow he had been able to overpower several of the more deadly Uchiha techniques. He was not sure how it happened, but now was not the time.

"Are you happy with being a leashed animal again?" Madara hissed as the sharp kunai pierced his hand, making it difficult to use jitsus, but not impossible.

"I'm paying for mistakes. Mistakes I made! For mistakes YOU made as well!" He roared and launched another barrage of hand to hand attacks.

But it was still proving to be a difficult challenge. A swift hit sent him flying to the ground. He landed on his back, blood spraying out of his mouth. His body felt so heavy, and yet his spirit told him to move… to get up. To finish this.

Madara saw his chance to end it as well. A simple strike to the already weakened fighter's chest would surely explode the fragile human heart inside. Gathering his power he jumped out of the trees and aimed straight at the Uchiha still on the ground.

"Saskue-teme!" Came a familiar voice from behind. The fox demon nin had called forth the inner spirit and drove a ball of energy into the side of his friend's unsuspecting attacker.

Madara let out a shriek of pain as the attack connected and knocked him out of the trees as well.

Looking around Madara saw that most of his team was in similar situations. It didn't look good for his plans to conquer Konoha and rule it in the position he felt he had been robbed of so long ago…. And it was all due to an Uchiha… Uchiha Sasuke…

Naruto began to summon his energy to put an end to the evil man before him when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw the badly beaten body of Sasuke standing, just barely, behind him.

"Thanks, but this is my battle… it is a family matter."

Naruto looked at his friend, worry was clearly shown on his face, and yet he nodded. Letting his power levels normalize, he steeped back allowing his limping friend to continue to use his shoulder for support.

"Thanks." Sasuke said seemingly acknowledging his former team member and friend for the first time.

"Don't mention it… but you better not die… "

"She won't let me die." He assured him.

And with that Sasuke closed his eyes and ended it.

The world went black. He was not even aware of what he had done. He focused the remaining energy he had inside and released it.

The pain, the anger, the worry, everything was gone. He felt like he was floating, but that was not the case when he felt his body hit the ground.

He was slightly aware of the outside world, a loud voice yelling at him… screams full of worry… but he was too tired to open his eyes… just a little sleep… he thought as he let himself drift away.

"SASUKE! SASUKE!"

* * *

_A/n: Shit that was a long chapter… it took a long time to write… I have to say I am not a master at the writing of fight scenes…. Can you tell? Sorry about that. Anyway, I have been sitting on this chapter for some time now… I hope you enjoyed it. Maybe I will go back after I finish this fic and rework a few things… we shall see._

_I see the end! It shall come soon! It's kinda scary to see the publish date being that of a year ago…. This fic has taken bit of time to get done… but it will get there! Promise!!!!_


	13. A New Start

_Chapter 13_

_a/n: Welcome to the finale! Its been a year in the making. Things have even surprised me with this fic… I usually have a rough idea of where I want it to go… but the bunnies don't always comply with the schedule! Anyway, thanks for coming along for the ride with me! I hope you will drop in again for another crack dream fluffy fic!_

_So, this is for all the reviewers! I hope you enjoy!_

_

* * *

  
_

"So that's it then?" The normally hyper nin said in a solemn voice he rarely used. A single tear fell down his cheek before he could successfully wipe it away.

Sakura nodded and used a soft handkerchief to try and stop the flow of tears escaping her eyes. It didn't help too much. The hospital room was quiet as they both stood near the lone bed amongst a sea of medical machines and trays used to try and save the occupant.

"Sakura, nothing could have been done…" He said trying to comfort the woman at his side. Opening his arms, he let her come in for a supportive hug. "He gave a good fight…"

"Why?" she sobbed into the dark shirt of the orange-haired man. "What did he ever do to anyone? I…"

"Sakura… everyone feels bad about this… but… I guess some good can come from this." Patting Sakura on the back, he let her go and moved to the head of the bed. Picking up the white sheet and covering the tiny child.

"Rest in peace little guy."

Turning back to Sakura he squeezed her shoulder before walking towards the door. And he did hope that Kouhei could rest in peace. There was nothing anyone could have done. The fall had hurt the tiny child more than any of the other scratched and bruises he had sustained during the ordeal. There was just nothing one could do to heal a spinal injury. Although the little guy tike had fought to stay alive for several days, the odds were just too great.

"I will miss you…and I know he will too…" He heard her soft voice whisper to the child's body.

Stopping at the door of the room, Naruto turned.

"Come on. The doctors said Sasuke-teme is going to be out of the ICU today. I'm sure you'll be the first one he wants at his bedside."

"He hasn't regained consciousness yet…"

"I'm sure he will soon. The Hokage has been in there helping to heal the damage that the idiot did to his chakra levels… your boyfriend is really messed up, you know this?" Naruto smiled as Sakura slowly smiled as she joined him near the door.

"Yeah…"

"But I guess that he wouldn't be Sasuke without all that stuff, right?" Naruto shook his head. "A normal human being would have been dead just stepping out of the gates… I never knew the Uchiha bloodline was that strong. It's scary to think he never used it against us before…"

"You two need to stop competing against each other and holding grudges. It's always been rather annoying… you'll turn out to be like Kakashi-sempai and Gai-sempai…."

"Well, if he promises to be nice and keep you happy, then I guess I can let up a bit." Naruto smiled putting his hand on her back, leading her away from the room. They would still mourn the loss of little Kouhei, but at the moment, other things were important too...

They walked down the hallway towards the rooms that Sasuke would be transferred to. Once there they found the Hokage leaning against the wall looking rather tired. Her long blond hair didn't seem to shine like it usually did, and there were bags under her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked walking up to the leader of Konoha.

"I've helped him all I can…" She said looking at Sakura with sad eyes. "He ripped through the barrier I created… I am not sure how… it's definitely the first time anything like that has happened to a jitsu of that level… he's lucky he's alive." She sighed.

"How is he?" Sakura asked holding her hands in a silent prayer.

"He's alive… I'm not sure what the damage is going to be… his chakra levels won't be the same ever again. And I can only assume there will be long term effects."

"Sasuke won't let that stop him. Don't worry Sakura. Give him a few months of rest, and he'll be up and causing problems in no time." Naruto tried to make her feel better. "Besides with you as a medical nin, he'll be just fine."

"Yeah, he's a survivor." Sakura nodded feeling better already. "I'll read his charts later, but can I see him now?"

"Go on in. He's been released from the ICU. Doctors will monitor him, but he still has not woken up." Sakura thanked her teacher once again. The older woman was getting used to the hugs from the pink haired girl; they seemed to happen more and more frequently.

There was a period after the young nins had left to go and help Sasuke that she was really concerned with her decision to release him from the limiter jitsus. However seeing Sakura smile like she did, make her feel better.

"I'm going to take a rest. I will be in to check on his chakra later." Tsunade gave a weak smile and patted Sakura on the shoulder. "You go and keep him company…"

"Thank you." Naruto said in a voice she rarely heard from him. It was one that was serious and grateful. He too liked seeing Sakura happy.

* * *

Inside the room Sakura went immediately to the bedside. His breathing was aided by tubes in his nose; his body was a massive collection of bandages and gauze. Several IVs dripped into tubes connected to his arms.

His face might have been the only place that showed bare skin. Even then there were a few pieces of tape covering a few stitches.

Sitting on the chair she took his hand in hers and began to talk to him. Naruto stood at the door, not wanting to disrupt the couple… Sakura looked up from Sasuke to Naruto still standing at the door.

"How's it going there Sasuke?" Naruto entered the room acting like Sasuke was awake. "You know, even when in the hospital, its hard to see a difference in his demeanor." The nin smiled and got Sakura to do so too. Seeing her smile was worth all the effort.

"So, you going to sleep all day? You've got the best nurse by your side and all you want to do is sleep? What a lame kind of guy…"

"Sh…shuut uppp…" Came a hoarse voice from the bed. Instantly both visitors' attention was on the figure in the bed.

"No… don't move." Sakura warned gently pressing his back into the bed mattress. "Sasuke… you can't be moving yet…"

"See, I knew he would be ok." Naruto smiled cockily.

"Sasuke, are you in pain? Do you need anything?"

"Sakura… what?" The fire in his eyes suddenly grew. "Kouhei…."

Sakura squeezed his hand and looked away.

"I ne…ed to see… him." Sasuke continued. This time Naruto helped to try and keep him in bed.

"You can't..." Sakura's tears stopped Sasuke.

"Sakura?" He reached up his arm to try and wipe away her tears. The IV tubes strained as he moved, but he did not care.

"He didn't make it… I'm so sorry…" She sobbed as she rested her head on his chest. She tried to not hurt his wounds, but that was hard.

Sasuke sucked in the hiss of pain he felt as she tried to seek consoling. He didn't care about that pain… his body was slowly turning numb again.

"He…" Sasuke could not say the words.

"He just passed away a few hours ago. You should be proud of the little guy; he fought to the very end. He wanted to live with you guys…"

"Don't worry Sakura…" Sasuke said wrapping his arms around her as best he could. "We'll get through this…"　He was not sure on who he was trying to console, her or himself.

* * *

Recovery… that is what one was supposed to call the time period after a traumatic experience, or physical injury. Recovery was never a fun time for anyone. And it was driving Sasuke crazy.

After several weeks of going half mad with boredom, and annoyance with his frequent loud mouthed visitor Naruto, Sasuke was finally released from the hospital and discharged into the caring hands of the ever present Sakura. Every time he went to physical therapy, she was there. She had stayed by him for it all yet again. Just like she had promised, she was going to stick with him forever.

And now they were going home… Although he was happy to leave the hospital, he was dreading returning there... to his home…

Neither of them had been back there since the morning they left to rescue Kouhei. Well, that was slightly untrue. They had returned to the grounds to place the cremated remains of the tiny Uchiha to rest. Not entering the house, just walking through the gardens, a still weak Sasuke and grieving Sakura with a mix of friends all said their goodbyes.

The Hokage had even attended. It was an awkward situation. As much as Sasuke wanted to forget all that had happened, he had yet to receive an answer to the question of why… Why did they give him Kouhei for such a short time and then decide to take him back? Was he that much of a threat?

No answers came.

Home… Now things were different. They were back in the Uchiha complex to live once more. Entering through the main door, they walked silently into the kitchen and dinning rooms. Every thing was there to remind them of the missing person never to return with them. The one they had failed in saving.

Sakura knew that Sasuke was blaming himself. He was even more quiet and brooding than normal. She prayed he would understand that he had done his best. Hell, he had nearly killed himself. Not to mention causing lasting chakra damage.

He had created massive amounts of power to break through the jitsu of the Hokage and fight in a weakened condition… but he would never again be able to call up those powers. His heart, along with countless other internal organs could not take the strain.

Much to his dislike, he had been grounded for missions for nearly a year. She knew he was going to go crazy. Maybe he could teach a class or two at the school. He needed to keep busy.

Sakura sighed and looked at over at the man she loved. He was looking at the family shrine with a blank look on his face. Fresh incense burned for the loss of Kouhei and the rest of his family. Walking to him, she embraced him from behind; hugging his back tightly to her chest.

Sasuke was broken from his melancholy thoughts with her warm touch. She was all he had left… and he knew that if he lost her, he would forever be lost.

"What do we do now?" He asked sounding lost. It nearly made tears come to her eyes.

"You should get some rest." She replied kissing his neck. "You've been walking a lot so far today and you look exhausted."

"I don't want to rest… I'm sick of doing nothing…" Turning around to look at her, he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Well, we could clean up some of this… and then sit out on the back porch and relax." She offered.

"Yeah… I guess that's a good idea." He said as he walked over and picked up a few of the baby toys lying around the room.

* * *

As the weeks went on Sakura began to pull him out of the house more and more. They had already been on several double dates even a triple date once Naruto found out Sakura and Ino had taken their boys out to dinner.

The tension that had been present before was now gone. In some ways nins like Choji and Kiba were more cautious around him, Neiji also seemed to eye Sasuke differently, but the harsh feelings were gone. It might have been out of pity, but none of them would say that. They knew Sasuke would not accept pity.

He had apologized and even thanked the others for trying to help him and that seemed to clear the air. The moral of the group seemed to be back at the levels from the academy, the past could not be forgotten, but it could be forgiven. And relationships mended.

It brought a smile to Sakura's face seeing Naruto joke around with Sasuke from time to time. Often times Sasuke would stay quiet and put up with the crazy stuff their group seemed to do, but from time to time he would join in.

Tonight's plans were not a group event. Sasuke had been pretty adamant about it just being the two of them. Sakura was feeling excited. All week she had tried to get him to tell her more details with this dinner date he had planned.

It was kind of hard to keep a secret from her given that they were now pretty much living together. Sakura spent very little time at her apartment recently, less and less as the weeks went on. She had a feeling she knew what was coming… since that fateful morning when Sasuke had given her the necklace, neither of them had brought up the whole engagement issue…

"Are you sure you aren't reading too far into this date?" Ino asked as the girls sat on the porch of the Uchiha house. They were having a mini picnic admiring the beautiful garden on the property. She had never known that Sasuke was the gardening type. But after helping him weed the garden, she found out it was something his mother loved. And it was something he kept up in memory of her.

"I can just feel it in my gut." She said with a smile. "You know the butterfly feeling, where you are somewhere between anxious and excited. Don't you ever get that way with Shikamaru?"

"I guess…" The blond girl smiled seeing her friend so happy and bubbly. Over the last few weeks, the bright smile on her face was a constant. Everyone had noticed it. She definitely was glowing with happiness.

"Well, I know that tonight is going to be special. I can feel it. And I won't have you bring my spirits down." Sakura smiled.

"Well, where is your wonderful man at the moment?" Ino asked looking around the empty house. She had been there only a few times, but she could already tell the 'Sakura Touches' that had changed the large house. These two were definitely ready for the next step.

"He's talking with the Hokage about getting back on the council of elders. He is head of the Uchiha clan after all. And I think it will help him."

"He's still not strong enough to go on missions?"

"He's getting there. It's amazing how fast he is getting back to normal. I guess it's because he is stubborn."

"And he has a great coach who is just as stubborn at times." Ino winked giving Sakura a light poke on the shoulder.

"We work well together."

The two girls continued to talk and jab at each other until they heard the front door open and close.

"And there is your husband." Ino laughed seeing the look on Sakura's face. "You are so easy to fluster." She added as she stood up.

Sasuke walked out to the porch, several bags in hand.

"Ino." Sasuke nodded in a greeting. Sakura jumped up and gave him a quick kiss welcoming him back home.

"You went shopping?" Sakura sounded rather surprised.

"Well, you needed something new to wear tonight, didn't you?" He said handing her one of the boxes. "You've been complaining on how you needed new clothes."

"You have him trained. If only mine could be that proactive." Ino sighed. "Well I will let you two get ready for your date. Remember me sitting at the ramen shop when you two are having a quiet night." With a hug, Ino took her leave and Sakura when upstairs to change.

* * *

The blind fold kept her from seeing where Sasuke was taking her. She knew they were still in the house grounds, and the soft grass at her feet told her they were moving out towards the small lake on the property.

It was Sasuke's favorite place, or so it seemed to be. He was there near the docks training and doing exercises pretty much everyday. It was a peaceful place.

"Just where are we going?" Sasuke smiled at her question. He was not going to tell her just yet. He had been working hard for several days to get this night right. She would have to wait a few minutes longer.

"You'll see. No, don't you dare touch that blindfold." He said close to her ear. She had reached up for the obstruction of her view, but she stopped.

"This is not like you…" She smiled fully enjoying how romantic he was trying to be for her. "Not that I mind, I actually like it a lot."

"Well, It is going to be a special night…" He told her as they both stopped. "Ok, we're here."

Slowly taking off the blindfold, Sakura was granted access to see what he had prepared. And it took her breath away.

There near the dock was a white gazebo. Strung around the posts holding the canopy up, were white lights that reflected perfectly on the water. The sun was setting and soon the lights would be the only source of light for them.

In the center of the gazebo was a table set with a meal that looked picture perfect. Crystal clear glasses sparkled among the abundance of flowers scattered all over the white table cloth.

"You've had a lot of time to work on this." She smiled taking a hold of his hand and squeezing it.

"Well, I seem to be on the injured list. So yeah, I do have time." He smiled. "Besides, you seem to have high expectations for me, so… I guess I gotta surprise you when I can." Kissing her hand he led her closer to the table.

"Just don't expect this all the time." He pulled out the chair for her and Sakura happily sat down.

The two ate the meal of simple roasted chicken and vegetables. Sasuke was no professional chef; however, he was a good cook. More often than not, since he was let go of the hospital he found himself cooking for her and growing to like it.

Sakura had gone back to her normal job at the hospital, so he was the one with more time on his hands. It was true that he had planned greatly for tonight. Tonight had to be perfect… she deserved this…

"So how was your day?" He asked watching her eat a bit of her chicken.

"It was alright." She said putting her fork down.

"Are you ok? You seem really tired? You want to do this another night?" He asked a little concerned.

"No, I'm fine. I just had a long week. That's all. Sorry to spoil the mood." Sakura took a sip of her champagne.

"Nah, its ok… I'm not really good at this kind of thing…" He stood up. "So I am going to just do this now…"

Sakura watched as he walked over to her and got down on one knee. It was perfect: the mood, the night, the way he was looking at her, the emotion in his eyes… she felt like she was going to faint.

"Saukra… It's always been you in my heart… even when I didn't have the courage to admit it… so… would you…" His mouth went dry. He knew this was right. Having her there with him had made his life happy even during the dark times. So why was this so hard?

Emotions, he thought to himself. He was just not good with them. She was helping him work on that… and he loved her.

"Sakura… marry me."

Before he could open the box with the ring that had taken him a week to find, she was on him. Her lips met with his with a passion he never wanted to forget.

"Did I do better this time?" He asked when she finally let him get a breath of air. To which he got another kiss telling him it was an affirmative.

"And you accept? Even without looking at the ring?"

"I don't need a ring to tell me you love me." She said in between kissing his lips over and over.

"Well, I guess I can return this then." He said opening the box and smiling. Inside the dark blue velvet box was a silver ring with several pink colored jewels making the shape of a sakura flower. In the center was a diamond sparkling in the light.

"No… I mean… I love it." She said coming out of her momentary stupor.

Smiling, he took the ring out of the box, and took her hand, placing it slowly on her ring finger, his eyes never left her face. She was in shock, but happy. This made him happy.

They were official then.

He kissed her and never wanted to let her go.

* * *

**Around 6 years later….**

The lush green grass blew in the cool breeze. Under a large tree in a secluded area of town a large blanket was spread out and a man lay dozing with his arms beneath his head. Nothing mattered at the moment.

He was not going to think about anything… Not missions, training nor the countless council meetings that had tired him out. Sometimes he longed for the days before he had been placed back on the active nin list. For now he found himself once again one of the elite members of the Konoha community. It was a good feeling to be needed; to fight to protect the city where his home and now his family lived, but there was a point where any sane man would begin to feel the pressures.

Sadly there were some things that could not and would not be overlooked. Even on this, a "relaxing" day with his family.

His family… it felt good to say that. His family.

Six years had gone by like a flash. He had grown older in physical build and knowledge. His wife, she had become even more beautiful and priceless to him… it was annoying however to have to tell her that frequently… apparently that is what happened with pregnancy or just after marriage in general. Not that he really minded… She just liked hearing him tell her that. If it made her happy...

Smiling he lifted his head off his arms and looked to see Masahiro, their youngest laying next to his side in the baby basket. The dark haired infant was a little older than what Kouhei was when they had first taken him in. It was a time of troubles and infrequent hours of sleep, but they had gotten things under control. They had learned fast.

Turning his head he could see the long pink locks of his wife flying in the gentle breeze as she walked through the fields of green plants and colorful flowers. Her long dress was also moving with the wind a bit and each of her hands were holding on to tinier ones. The twins, Kousuke and Daisuke, both with his dark hair and similar black eyes, were at the point where they were getting good at walking. They enjoyed grabbing hold of their parents' arms, but they could walk on their own just fine. Oh the trouble they would get into. More than once, Sasuke had been at his wits end with those boys. They even gave their Uncle Naruto a scare with their sheer energy and curiosity.

Out of no where their oldest came and jumped on his stomach, reminding him that his relaxing days were not ever going to be a true relaxing day.

"Shouhei…" He gasped for air as he grabbed his son and tried to hold him still. The boy seemed to want to try and bounce on his father's stomach.

"Dad… you can't sleep now! It's a picnic!" The boy said looking down on his father. "Mom, told me to wake you up."

"She did, did she?" Sasuke looked over at her smiling. She was trying to hold back a laugh. Their oldest was just a little under 6 years old. Little had either of them known that when Sasuke had proposed all those years ago, Sakura was already several weeks pregnant with Shouhei. They had both found out about a month or two later when Sakura had first experienced the joys of morning sickness. It was not something either of them enjoyed.

"When are we going to practice the fire jitsu again? I almost got it last time." The boy asked. Somewhere the boy had heard about some of the family's techniques, most likely at school or from their Uncle. Damn Naruto… that man still managed to annoy him quite frequently over the years. Even with his own child to deal with, the Hokage in training still managed to find time for the Uchiha clan.

"Daddy, are you sleeping with your eyes open?"

"Sorry. Daddy was thinking." He said sitting up. There was no use at trying to get a little sleep if even his wife was against him.

"Mommy says you think too much all the time." Sasuke nodded. Sakura had told him that on more than one occasion. He couldn't help it.

"How about you go and bother mommy and tomorrow after my meeting I will train with you again?"

"But we always play then and mommy only lets us do it for a little while… and you have the whole day off today!" The boy's arms make a huge circle emphasizing his point.

"Yeah… I know. But I also have to watch Masahiro. I can't teach you and watch your brother can I?"

"Stupid baby makes everything compukated."

"Complicated." Sasuke corrected. With a sigh he wished there were more hours in the day. He didn't know how his wife made juggling family and work look so easy. For him, granted his jobs were less flexible, it was harder. He made every minute that he was off time for his family… he was not going to have a repeat of his own childhood.

Doing everything he possibly could, he was determined to create a happy environment with no pressure for any of his children to be the newest prodigy or best in their class. It just so happened that his children didn't fall to far from the tree. Each of the three who went to school had shot up the ranks and were already the star students. That had more to do with their mother insisting they study hard than any family bloodline.

Ruffling his son's hair he nodded. He knew a losing battle when he saw one. He had learned early on to never cross a cranky child or moody wife.

"Ok." Sasuke said grabbing his son and standing up. Placing his son on the ground, he looked over to the baby. "Let me put on the baby holder and we'll try it for a little while."

"Yay!" The young boy smiled and jumped with excitement.

We need to get away for some quiet time, he said to himself as he looked over at his wife, who was dealing with the other two. He knew she was thinking the same thing.

* * *

"Thank heavens for family!" Sakura smiled as she leaned back on the couch. She enjoyed using her half-asleep husband as a pillow. He was already lying on the large and comfortable couch in the den of the Uchiha house.

"The kids are at your mother's?" He asked as his arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer.

"I don't know how my parents can keep up with them… but I am too afraid to ask and have them say they don't want to take them anymore." She sighed turning a bit to look at his face. The exhausted look was something that she had gotten used to seeing, but it was a happy-exhausted. It was certainly a life changer having kids… especially having four UCHIHA boys; each a ball of energy and curiosity on to themselves.

Sakura closed her eyes as Sasuke's hand began to run through her hair, massaging her scalp.

"Yeah, let's not anger them too much. The only other person who is crazy enough to want to babysit is Naruto… and I'm not about to let that idiot be in charge of my kids." Sasuke began to place kisses along the skin behind her ear causing Sakura to giggle.

"Who are you more worried about Naruto or the boys?" She giggled again as he continued to kiss and nip at her neck.

"Does it really matter? None of them are here now… it's just you and me…" He said in a deep voice rolling them carefully as to not fall off the couch so he was on top. He straddled her hips looking down on her with eyes full of desire.

"You know where this leads…" She sighed as his hands moved down her chest, gently kneading her breasts.

"To the bedroom?" Sasuke smiled kissing her neck.

"To another baby… seriously Sasuke… every time we seem to have time for fun… we end up with another boy who looks just like you." Her voice hinted at a bit of resentment under the pleasure she was feeling at the moment.

"You don't seem to mind the activities leading up to that part… why, you want to try for a girl this time?" To this he promptly got a light slap.

"Only if you carry to term this time… my body can't handle giving you the twenty little Uchihas you seem to want." She said pulling him closer.

Sasuke's hand continued to wander over her body for a time. He could feel himself building up inside… he couldn't help himself where she was concerned. Deep down he knew he was turning into a dirty old man, but she didn't seem to mind. She might be complaining about having so many kids, and yet she didn't put up much of a fight…

His hands continued to tease her, reaching down her legs, he silently began the trek up her legs, only under her dress. She panted as he brought her to climax with his skillful fingers. Afterward, his hands settled on her abdomen. He had always enjoyed feeling the baby inside while she was pregnant. Often time he would fall asleep with his hands gently placed there.

Sakura gave out a hiss of annoyance as he suddenly stopped his ministrations.

"Um… Sakura…" He looked into her eyes. He was unsure of if he wanted to ask the question that just came into his mind.

"What's wrong?" She asked looking at him the haze of pleasure not going away, but lessening.

"You said you got rid of your baby fat from Masahiro, right?" He asked uncertainly and with almost a shaky voice.

"Yes." She replied not knowing where this question was going. "Why?"

"Um…" He took her hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. At first she was unclear of his actions… why would he… then her eyes caught his in understanding…

"I can't be… I mean… I haven't had any morning sickness like the other times… Sasuke…."

He cut her off with a kiss to the lips. Granted they would have to wait till the morning to do a test to make sure… but a little early celebration wouldn't hurt, right?

"Happy baby number 5!"

* * *

_A/n: And they all lived happily ever after. On a side note, the population of the Uchiha clan never had any issues afterward…_

_Well, it has been a year for me to get this fic done. Sorry for the delays, other things did come up- you know how life can be… Usually it doesn't take quite this long, but hopefully it was worth the wait._

_Thanks for reading! and Reviewing! ( I do so love them)  
_

SasuSaku forever!


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